Towers of Chaos (Philowen Aster)
by Aster's Descendants
Summary: What starts out as a simple quest to keep the Thalmor from unearthing an artifact of Molag Bal's uncovers a plot and a danger with world-spanning consequences, and revelations that will shake more than just Mundus. Co-Authored by vanillathunder215. MAJOR SPOILERS for 'Rising from the Ashes' and 'Dungeons and Dragonborn'
1. Hidden in the Hills

**Chapter One: Hidden in the Hills**

High Rock was vastly different from the plains and mountains of Skyrim. The hills formed a deceptively calm-looking landscape: until you were right into them, it was hard to imagine how much area they concealed. As the two were finding to their great annoyance.

"Are we still heading the right way?" Drizzt asked in an undertone.

Ravenlight consulted her wayfinder compass for the fifteenth time. "Miraculously, yes," she answered, just as quietly. "Hopefully the hills won't get any steeper, trying to find our way through them if we can't go over will probably get us completely lost faster than threading the canyons in the Reach."

Then they both fell silent, dropping to a crouch in the bushes. A voice had shouted, some distance ahead.

An Altmer voice.

They exchanged grim looks, then slowly crept forward, making sure to stay low and close to the ground. In a few more minutes, they heard the sound of picks and shovels striking the ground. Both reached for their weapons. They'd found the dig site.

* * *

"I'm impressed," Nevano murmured, watching the busy digging below, fingers running along Bonebiter's string. "I was starting to think you had lost your mind running out this far. Should have called you Hound instead of Bull."

"Boethiah was...emphatic about this." Veleth groused.

"Big words." Nevano grinned. "So, Boethiah doesn't like Thalmor playing in the dirt. What's the plan?"

Veleth shifted uncomfortably. The tree they had pretty much slid into down the steep hill was digging uncomfortably into his hip. Though he was pleased they weren't running through a volcanic landscape this time, he mildly cursed the Thalmor for not picking someplace a bit… easier to traverse. "Too many to just charge in. I'm not convinced all those digging are here willingly. Not all are mer. Some look local. We might need to distract them."

A thoroughly frightening smile slowly spread across Nevano's face.

"One that _doesn't_ announce our presence to the entire damn province..." Veleth grunted.

* * *

"So what's in there?" Drizzt breathed, barely half a foot away from Ravenlight's ear. They'd managed to find a sheltered location to look down on the activity below.

"Something called Wrath of the First?" Ravenlight answered. "I have no idea what it was, but Serana definitely sounded panicked-and anything that could put that horrified expression on Isran's face is _definitely_ something we don't want surfacing. Ever again."

They looked over the activity. Drizzt frowned. "Not all those workers look like Thalmor," he murmured. "Some of them may have been coerced into digging."

"I was thinking the same thing." Ravenlight considered. "We're going to need a distraction."

He smiled a little, pulling out an onyx figurine. "She can handle that well enough. Hit them from three sides?"

Ravenlight pulled her bow loose and grinned. "Give me a minute to get into position first. I'll whistle once I'm ready. Then send her in."

* * *

"Don't destroy the place!" Veleth hissed. "Something is here Boethiah wants. I have no idea what."

"Nice to know Azura isn't the only one who is annoyingly vague." Nevano snorted, sighting along his arrow. "Something about having divine powers and speaking in riddles. Is being a god really that boring?"

"Nevano..."

"See that rock face across from us? It's shored up with a few boards. It's unstable and all the miners seem to be avoiding it. I hit that, the face comes down, causing all sorts of commotion. While they are busy there, you go roaring in there like the demon-from-hell warrior you are. I'll back you up from up here until they start to group up and then I'll bring more fire."

"Bring down the mage first."

"What mage? There's no mage here."

There were no tell-tale robes, no staff to be seen, but the rage beast in his belly was growling. There was a mage down there. And one with no small amount of power. Veleth narrowed his eyes. This wasn't going to be as easy as they hoped.

* * *

_Chirr, chirr, chirr_.

The call was almost identical to the chatter of the birds already in the region. Almost, but not quite-and the ranger who'd been listening to them for the past seven days heard the difference. He couldn't see Ravenlight-but that was as it should be. When she didn't want to be seen, nobody could see her. Not even him.

Drizzt stroked Guen's side. "All right," he whispered. "Go stir them up." The panther flicked her tail, then slipped off, skulking through the brush until she'd found the best place to make her entrance.

* * *

"On your call, Bull." Nevano murmured.

Veleth scanned the gully below, his anxiety kicking up. There was something very wrong but he couldn't see a thing to say otherwise. He ground his teeth together in frustration. He reached over his shoulder and shook his sword loose. Nothing he could do about it and he wasn't staying in this damn tree any longer. He could hear the birds mocking him at this point. "Do it."

Nevano released his arrow.

* * *

Things happened far more quickly than they'd expected. Guenhwyvar made her entrance, springing into view with a snarl like the Wild Hunt unleashed, at the exact moment an arrow sang through the air and smashed into a rock face neither of them had noticed. The Thalmor sentry she'd targeted went down with a scream, half a second before several tons of rock and clay started sliding.

It had one good effect, Ravenlight thought grimly, sighting down the length of her arrow at the Thalmor soldier rushing toward Guen. The non-combatants were definitely getting out the area as fast as they could, clearly not sure which they were more terrified of: the Thalmor, the rockslide, or the demon panther, who'd finished her first target and was whirling on another. She let out the second signal-a long, clear _seeeet!_, and let fly.

* * *

Veleth leaped from the tree and started his charge the instant Nevano's fingers had twitched. He didn't even flinch as the magically driven arrow flew past his ear. By the time any of the guards had even begun to notice, Bonebiter's magic had done its job, rock flying everywhere but, most importantly, sent crashing to the ground. Suddenly no one cared about yet another body running. Several tons of bouncing boulders tended to capture attention.

He pulled his sword loose, letting the rage build in his belly. He could hear a faint rushing sound along with many rapidly firing patters. So many hearts beating wildly, blood rushing through veins. The beast roared. It wanted Thalmor blood.

Then another roar answered his own, shattering Veleth's concentration.

"_Nivisu Sharmat'molamer!_" Nevano yelled. "_Bahlar_...cat?"

"Little late on that warning!" Veleth couldn't stop. He called on the other power deep inside him, bringing his rage up with the fury of the volcano that dominated his homeland. They would need a bit more...firepower after all. _Vith_.

* * *

"What the-" Drizzt momentarily halted at the sight of the black-armored warrior charging in from the other side of the gully, not sure which side the stranger was on. "_Essiel?!_"

A few seconds later, he heard the answer. "_Grah-zeymaziin, uhiel!_ Concentrate on the Thalmor!"

"Right!"

The startled fighters hadn't known which direction to go at first, but that was about to change. He drew his blades and charged in.

* * *

Veleth allowed his fury to burst forth, flames erupting around him. His momentum helped his sword punch through the Thalmor armor. He ripped it free, ignoring the spray of blood that hissed furiously in the fire around him. Another Thalmor quickly fell as he whipped his sword across the guard's neck. The third seemed distracted, glancing across the gully. Enraged at the lack of full focus, Veleth buried his sword almost to the hilt into the Thalmor.

Another arrow flew overhead and wooden scaffolding exploded in a shower of splinters. A pulley that had been perched on top toppled down, it's boulder counterweight swinging wildly, causing the Thalmor below to scatter in panic. Even through his red haze, Veleth heard a sound he recognized.

"_Luhn-silvar! As horses_!"

He got the wonderful satisfaction of watching that arrow fly by and destroy the pen that was holding a rather large herd of thoroughly panicked horses.

* * *

Whoever that berserker was, he was doing a good job. Ravenlight picked another target, this one pulling out his own bow, and dropped him with a swift shot. The flames surrounding him were off-putting-but she'd used Flame Cloak spells often enough to recognize it. At least this one shouldn't have the side effects J'zargo's variety had... The thought made her smile, even as she dealt with another archer.

Another arrow flew down and burst, this one freeing a pen of horses. Recognizing her opportunity, Guenhwyvar let out a spine-chilling sound, halfway between a roar and a scream, and leaped forward to land among them. The horses, already terrified, went mad at the appearance of an ancestral enemy and bolted in every direction. One of them headed directly for Drizzt, who was matching blades with an unusually skilled Thalmor. He heard the hooves just in time, and vaulted up and to the side, avoiding being struck or trampled by inches. The Thalmor was not so lucky.

_Something odd about that bow_, Ravenlight considered, trying to spot where the other archer was. _Almost like Taumaril, but...not the same. And I could swear it's somehow familiar_.

Then she froze, alarm prickling across her skin. Something was...wrong. Very wrong. It almost felt like the warning she received before a dragon appeared, but somehow...fouler. And…

She swore, springing down from the tree and drawing the Dawnbreaker as she realized what she was feeling. Vampiric energy, nearly as powerful as Harkon Volkihar. And it was coming from the ruins the Thalmor had been unearthing.

* * *

So _that_ was the large cat Nevano had called out about. Veleth blinked. He had never seen anything like it before in his life.

"We aren't the only ones who are making the Thalmor regret their life's decisions." Nevano appeared at his elbow in a shower of dust, his eyes glowing gold. "Ignore it for now. Do you feel that?"

Oh, he felt it alright. The rage beast was screeching in a way Veleth had never felt before.

"_Amer'kon, vvarden daesohn_." Nevano's voice deepened, Trueflame's fire leaping bright. "Finish the Thalmor."

That Veleth could and would gladly do.

* * *

Ravenlight wasn't the only one to feel the coming...abomination. Guenhwyvar stopped chasing the horses and turned, her eyes flashing bright as she snarled. Her fur bristled all along her back and shoulders, making her immense frame seem even bigger. She glanced from Drizzt to Ravenlight, apparently unsure of which she should aid.

Ravenlight inhaled deeply, holding Meridia's blade ready and slicking it with a particularly nasty fire-oil. "I'll be fine," she called. "Help my brother." Her voice grew resonant, her eyes changed from amber to garnet, the pupils becoming slitted. "This...creature...is mine."

She noticed the stranger appear as she approached the ruin: a Dunmer, more lightly armored than she was, and also carrying a flaming blade. Their eyes briefly met; his eyes were oddly flamelike, in contrast to most Dunmer eyes, but somehow...familiar? No, she didn't know him. But something in her did. And that something was pleased to see him. She inclined her head slightly, then raised the Dawnbreaker into position as their enemy made his appearance.

* * *

Nevano smiled. So...they weren't the only ones to have been called here. He really was going to have to change Veleth's nickname if he kept leading them to these sorts of situations, especially when they led to a...reunion of sorts.

'_Pay attention,_' a voice echoed in his mind. _'It's coming._'

"Then come out and play," Nevano said.

He held Trueflame out and tried not to shudder as it felt like his skin was peeling itself off his bones. The sensation was fleeting, fortunately, but well worth it. Their reward for bringing Nerevar's soul back from the brink of Oblivion; Nerevar coming forth for a short while. Nevano could fight easily with just Hopesfire. "Bull...that beast needs to be walked."

"No need to tell me twice." Veleth rolled his shoulders, his eyes glowing hot.

Nevano inhaled sharply, his eyes widening. "Good...because _that_ is going to make us sweat more than climbing those damn hills."

* * *

Drizzt finished the last Thalmor and turned, his eyes widening in absolute disgust as he saw the...gods, what did you _call_ something like that? Fouler than a draugr or a lich, reeking like an old battlefield under a summer sun: he supposed it had been...humanoid at some point. But now it was just a… a rotten, reeking, moving _corpse_-that, unfortunately, was not a shambling, awkward thing, but moved as lithely as a Drow warrior, and held a black-glinting blade in its half-skeletal hands.

But it wasn't the weapon that was...powering it. It wore a strange armor: plates bound together with either fine chain or metallic cloth to form something almost feminine in appearance. It might have seemed...attractive, if not for what it was clothing. And the fact that it somehow hurt to look at.

It opened its mouth, revealing canines two inches long on top and bottom, and let out a long, breathy scream.

Drizzt fought with the entirely instinctive desire to run like the entire Abyss was after him, gripping his blades in both hands and moving forward a little. Ravenlight was not running, and he would not leave her alone with that thing.

It screamed, and the Bosmer shuddered in sudden terror. But the Dov reared up in defiance. She did not fear these things, not after destroying the Volkihar. And she answered the scream-with a Shout.

"_YOL TOOR SHUL!_"

* * *

A series of slightly unnerved and rather colorful curses wafted to Nevano's ears as the...thing came out. Ordinarily, he'd toss a quick tease that a big, bad demon warrior who could set the world on fire was absolutely terrified of all things decaying and undead, he had to say in this instance he rather agreed. Whatever it was, it made Dagoth Ur look downright normal.

"Stay strong, shield brother." he murmured.

Then it screamed.

Nevano grabbed Veleth's arm, his nerves shattering completely. The only thing that kept him from running was Nerevar stepping in front of them, Trueflame flaring brightly in response. Veleth was shaking underneath his grip but his feet stayed firm on the ground.

"_YOL TOOR SHUL!_"

Pain erupted in his head as if someone had hit him with a hammer. He dropped to his knees, clawing at his ears as the pressure built to where he thought they would simply explode. He heard Nerevar yell and felt something solid against him. Then he felt the heat of fire build around him. Boethiah would have been proud of the sudden explosion of pure rage.

* * *

Ravenlight wasn't sure what she'd expected when she blasted the creature with a torrent of fire. No, that wasn't true. She'd _expected_ it to go up like a torch. This was all three Words of the Thu'um, something that the undead should not have been able to resist. Volkihar vampires would have caught and blazed at that. This thing...didn't.

The flames certainly had some effect: the stench intensified, and it sizzled like fat dropped into a too-hot pan, screeching with outrage. The Bosmer noticed the fire-eyed Dunmer go down in response to her shout-and was therefore prepared to leap in front of him, the Dawnbreaker lashing out to block the stroke it launched toward them. The third figure, who was...definitely not a Dunmer, whatever he was, joined her, fighting to keep the thing off of them as it struck, hard and fast.

She saw Drizzt circling from the other side. Part of her wanted him to join in and help. The other...did not want him anywhere near this thing. _It can shrug off a _Thu'um! _What the hell is it, anyway?!_

* * *

Nerevar had leaped in head first along with the Bosmer girl. She seemed a bit rattled but he felt it as well seeing as how that damned Shout did about as much good as swatting the thing with a willow switch. Far from weakening it, the flames only pissed it off.

Trueflame was able to fend it off but Nerevar, who was normally incorporeal, staggered as he was hit. Nevano could feel the shock of being touched at all resonate through the bond they shared.

A growl echoed over the sound of weapons clashing. Nevano looked up. The solid thing he had been leaning against had been Veleth's leg. Fire was flickering around him and smoke was rising off his armor. Nevano pushed a bit off him and felt him still shaking though there was no doubt in his mind that it was not out of fear. Oh no, no, no. This was _rage_. His skin seemed to blacken from the fire around them, the claws on his armor fused with his fingers and his eyes burned a bright red. Nevano had called him a warrior from hell but he never expected him to find a depth to his rage that would actually turn him _into_ something from hell.

"_Boethiah nesid eal wina!_"

Nevano felt his jaw drop as Veleth snarled like a demon and, impossibly fast, dove straight into the fray.

* * *

Ordinarily, discovering that she was suddenly fighting alongside a damn Daedric lord-or what looked like it-would have unnerved or alarmed Ravenlight-much like what happened whenever Serana's reanimated corpses came up beside her. In this case, however, she welcomed it, because wherever it had come from, it was as angry to see the hideous vampire-lich thing as she was. And he, at least, was doing some damage to it.

She fell back briefly, calling healing into her left hand and casting it at the Dunmer she'd nearly flattened with the Shout, half in apology, half because they'd need every sword they could get to bring this thing down. She dodged out of the way of a blow that nearly knocked her sprawling, went low, and swung with everything she had at the creature's leg. The fire didn't do anything-but the steel, at least, took a chunk out of both flesh and bone. She hadn't severed it all the way through-but she felt a glimmer of hope. It could be hurt. And if the Divines were on their side at all, it could be killed. Again. And hopefully permanently, this time.

* * *

The sheer relief from the pain almost made him forget what they were doing. Almost.

"Nerevar! Come back!"

He gritted his teeth as Nerevar slipped back in. He didn't settle though. He was bothered. That thing hit him. Something powerful was behind it. It was...bad. Nevano took that under advisement as he stood. He did not possess the physical strength needed to beat this thing but Veleth, in his demon rage, had that covered but where other things would have been in ribbons, this thing still fought with equal strength. It needed to be pinned down before Veleth ran out of energy. He pulled out Bonebiter and lined up a shot.

"_Eyn_!"

Veleth twisted to the left, giving him a perfectly clear view. He let his arrow fly.

* * *

The arrow struck and burst, rocking the thing back. But it didn't fall. Drizzt darted in from behind, his blades lashing in swift succession, biting at unprotected spine and neck. It shuddered and screeched, but it didn't fall. Ravenlight took another blow at it from the side, digging into its ribs, but it didn't fall.

_Bad. This is _bad_. There are no _words _for how bad this is._

The Daedric-looking person tore into again, leaving huge rents in it. They were doing damage. They were all doing damage. But they weren't doing enough.

_There's got to be something we can do to- _

Her mind caught on that thought. Something. Something was sustaining that thing. A spiritual power. _A soul_.

"Get behind me, all of you!" _I hate this Shout! _

_But there's no other choice._ She looked at the Dunmer again. "Cover your ears!"

She turned back and faced the creature, drawing in breath for the Shout she hated most. Durnehviir's Shout. Soul Tear. "_RII VAAZ ZOL_!"

* * *

Veleth had taken a single step back, raging at how she _dared_ give him an order. The urge to snap at her was almost overwhelming. The sheer force of...whatever that spell was she was bellowing sobered him up a bit. Enough for his common sense to sneak in and slap the rage beast back into order. He wouldn't put the collar back on as long as it attacked the target it was supposed to go after!

He didn't wait once the echo faded. It was staggering. Time slowed and his focus narrowed in. He could see how to end this. It was off balance, its arms flailing in the air. He took a step not towards it, but to the side. He flipped his grip on his sword and drove it sideways, through the thing's armpit, through ribs, through whatever decaying matter filled its chest cavity and erupting out the other side. He gripped his sword tightly and, putting every last bit of his strength and that of the rage beast, hauled his sword straight out as if he were swinging an axe, taking the spinal cord with it.

* * *

Ravenlight staggered, breathing hard. Most Shouts didn't take this kind of toll on her. But that one wasn't a normal Shout, and it felt as though it drained more than just her vocal cords. Drizzt came up beside her, ready to shield her if needed. But he didn't need to.

The Daedric-looking berserker slammed his blade into the creature, tearing it in half in a thoroughly disgusting spray of decayed flesh. Ravenlight let herself sink to her knees, weak from relief as well as from the drain.

_It the _Divines_, it worked._

* * *

Veleth dropped to a knee, leaning heavily on his sword as his rage bled out, leaving him feeling drained. Well, drained was putting it mildly. He wanted to wash the stench of decay and gods damned undead off him and then he wanted to sleep for a full day. He was...going to pay dearly for the depths he had pulled out. But he hadn't been able to help himself. Nevano had dropped and…

"Nevano!"

He nearly fell flat on his face as he scrambled over. Nevano wasn't moving. Blood was oozing from his nose and ears but, Veleth noted with some relief, he was breathing at least.

* * *

Ravenlight idly followed the man's motions, and stiffened when she saw the Dunmer. "Oh, gods." She jumped up-a bad idea, as the ground suddenly bucked under her and nearly pitched her to her face.

Drizzt caught her before she could fall and steadied her. "Careful. Are you all right?"

"Weak. Not as bad as he is." She tried to walk. Her legs felt like putty. "Can you get me over to him, I think I-that damn Shout, I think it did something to him, too."

Drizzt followed her gaze and frowned a little. "All right. But you're taking a few potions yourself, too."

"I will. I will." She had to try twice to summon the healing energies. "Hurry. Please."

The berserker glanced at the Bosmer girl. "What did that...thing you did. What did it do?"

"Soul Tear. It's-a Shout." She shuddered with revulsion as Drizzt set her down next to them. "Commands the will of the fallen. Among other things. Cuts through flesh, shatters the soul. I _hate_ that one. Just learning it made me feel filthy." She fumbled in her pouch for a magicka potion and swallowed it, grimacing at the taste, but finally able to focus her will enough to pour the healing light into the man's body. "I didn't want to use it, but...I couldn't think of anything else that would...break through whatever was protecting that...thing."

* * *

Veleth felt his stomach turn to ice. '_Shatters souls_'. There was more than one soul in Nevano. They had just gotten Nerevar back...it still wasn't healed..._oh gods_.

"There's two." He forced past suddenly numb lips. "In him. Two souls."

She blinked at him, puzzled. "Two-him, too?"

Veleth nodded. "You saw him. It hit him. He won't let Nevano go down in a fight. Your...shout? It got him."

* * *

"Oh, no." She shuddered. "I..." _No. Don't waste time on 'should have' or 'could have'_. She turned to the Dov. "Is there some way to help him?"

The figure in her mind stretched out her neck. _Let me see him, Other-self._ Ravenlight nodded, and mentally stepped back, allowing the Dov to come forward. She bent over the unconscious Dunmer, examining him closely, touching his chest and sniffing.

* * *

Veleth raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Between Nevano, the twins and Nevusa, he was fairly certain he has been witness to every strange/stupid/oddball behavior out there. He was just proven wrong. Good thing he still had an immunity to it. As long as it saved them both...sniff away. He just hoped she avoided the boots. Nevano should have just weaponized those boots first.

* * *

She could sense them both. As the berserker had said: he had two _siil_ within him. One was his; the other...not quite an Other-Self, but very near to it. They...belonged together. Friends. Allies. Perhaps more. She glanced back at her _zeymah_, recognizing the bond she'd glimpsed. To lose his...his _zeymah-siil_... No.

They had not been torn apart completely, not just yet. He had not been struck directly, though the _mey joor_ likely would not be in this situation if he had heeded the order to get behind the Bosmer. But they had been...rent, at the same time. It was a wound. A soul-wound, inflicted by a Shout. She could think of a way to heal it...but there would be a cost. She looked at her Other-Self, who was staring out at the injured Dunmer anxiously.

"_Can we help him?_"

Reluctantly, the Dov nodded. _"I know...words that can undo this. But you do not. For one to speak without the aid of the other..."_

_"Will it kill me?_"

_"No. But there will be pain. Much pain._"

Her Other-self touched her torso. "_I think I can handle pain to help someone I nearly...worse than killed. Just let Drizzt know first, in case I pass out after the shout._"

"_Geh_." She turned back out, looking first at the berserker, then at her _zeymah_. "I can aid him. But it will take a toll on her."

* * *

Veleth had been afraid of that...nothing was ever easy. He did his best to shove his personal feelings aside but really...he was willing to sacrifice quite a bit to save his shield brother. "Anything I can help with?"

Garnet eyes blinked at him. "She will need to rest afterward. In...safety. Not here."

He almost laughed. Almost. Instead, he gave her his best 'unamused guard captain' look. "It reeks of bloody Thalmor and undead here. I wouldn't leave a _shuned_ here, much less these two." He pointed over the hill "There's a shallow cave up there. It'll protect them from the storm that's coming."

* * *

Drizzt nodded. "That'll work." He looked more worried than she did. "I'll get her there, once...well..." He fell silent, putting his hand on her shoulder.

He understood. She'd done something she regretted, something she was willing to do anything to mend. He'd been there. He just wished he'd be the one taking the consequences, not her. She glanced up at him, her hand rising to rest on his for a moment. Then she turned back to the prone figure in front of her and inhaled.

"_SIIL_..". Okay, she knew that one, it wasn't too bad. "_RII_... And she knew that one, too, so... "_VAHRAAN!_"

THAT hurt. That...more than hurt. She understood now why the Dov had been reluctant to do this: normally, both souls Shouted in unison. She hadn't even realized her Bosmer half had joined in until it couldn't, and power without understanding was..._ripped_ out of her. And the worst part was she wanted to give it, wanted that...

It felt as though someone had dug...a hook, or claws into her entrails and ripped, but…

Her soul was screaming, how could a soul _scream?_ But-

But she felt it take effect, felt the horrible wound she'd inflicted on him draw back together, felt it knit like flesh and bone, and that, that made it worth it, worth the pain...

But worth it or not, she'd reached her breaking point. She hadn't known she could will herself to faint...but all in all, she was glad she could.

* * *

Veleth winced as he watched. That was...agonizing. Watching her face twist from determination to shock to agony was as bad as...he shoved the thought away. She was still alive. She was breathing. Nevano was still breathing. The color was returning to his skin. His kidney was aching. They needed to get to the cave. He did not want to be caught in the rain in these hills. He glanced over at the...Dunmer? "Let's go. If this is anything like a storm in the mountains, it'll be impossible to go anywhere once the rain hits." He picked up Nevano's weapons first but hesitated. "That...cat. Yours?"

* * *

Drizzt nodded, gently lifting Ravenlight into his arms. "Guenhwyvar." He looked up, noting as he did that she was picking her way toward him, and it occurred to him to wonder why she hadn't intervened at any point during the fight with the...vampire. "Yes. She's a friend of mine, a very old friend. But I can send her home if we need; or ask her to keep watch." He looked up at the sky. "Let's get to this cave; then we can get to know each other."

* * *

Veleth nodded and easily picked Nevano up. This was definitely one of those times that Nevano being as small as he was was a good thing. "Just making sure I wasn't about to have some giant wild cat try to eat me. I have enough claw scars. This way."

He took off, eager to leave this gully but...he was bothered still. Unsettled. They weren't done here. _Damn._

* * *

**(Authors' Note:** **Once upon a time (technically, last March), two authors got together to chat and try to stave off a case of writer's block that they were both dealing with. To that end, they played a little game of 'What If?: specifically, what if the two main characters from their respective fanfics met up with each other. This was a cute idea, so we spitballed a scenario that would bring the two together, came up with an artifact, moved it to a location not in either one's main stomping grounds, and went at it. Things...exploded. But we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it!)**


	2. Two Heroes in One Place

**(Yes, quick updates! Well...that's because we've written an _unbelievable_ amount on this story, and it shows no sign of slowing down. I will likely be posting a new chapter every few days for a while...)**

**Two Heroes in One Place**

The storm waited until they'd found the cave to break, with a lightning bolt that sounded as though it split the sky and a crash of thunder that shook the earth, before rain came down in a black sheet. For some reason, though, there was a fair amount of dry wood by the back wall, and Drizzt built a fire without difficulty. He settled Ravenlight down on one side of the fire, letting the other Dunmer set his friend down on the other side. There was silence for a few moments, aside from the rumbling and crash of lightning outside and the crackling of the flames.

Guenhwyvar lay down beside Ravenlight, nestling against her as if to warm her. Finally, Drizzt looked over at the strangers. "I have to say, I'm curious: how did the pair of you come to be attacking that dig site at the same time as us? We received word of it in a...fairly odd way."

Veleth leaned back against the wall, completely drained. Nevano was curled next to him, benefiting from both Veleth's body heat and the heat from the fire. Veleth didn't mind. The smaller mer had finally settled into something akin to sleep. Sleep and warmth would keep his bitching to a minimum when he woke up. That and it was reassuring to feel he was alive. Damn it; sometimes felt like it was impossible to keep this mer alive.

He looked over at the strange elf. "More than likely, in an equally strange way." Veleth was not willing to openly admit his connection to Boethiah to two strangers not from Morrowind. "We were directed here. I wasn't all that excited at the distance but when I heard the Thalmor were digging for something...they don't need to unearth relics, no matter how good or evil. They manage to turn everything they touch to shit."

"Considering what happened the _last_ time a Thalmor was involved with an ancient relic, I have to agree." Drizzt grimaced. "But in this case, I don't think they had any idea what it was they were about to unearth. Power-hungry as they are, I don't think they're quite stupid enough to deliberately unleash something like...that, especially since I don't think it would have submitted to them."

Veleth snorted a bit "I'm interested in hearing what they did with you, because I know you aren't from Morrowind. I got more than a few stories about them. None of them good. As for deliberately unleashing things, that depends on how desperate they are. If they are struggling to hold on to the remaining bits of a crumbling empire, they might do something stupid." He shook his head. "Enough on them. I have a feeling we aren't done and I don't have the energy to spare holding back the rage when I get going on them. I'm Modyn Veleth, by the way. Captain of the Watch in the city of Blacklight. This is Nevano. He's...a lot of things. My shield brother and family friend; probably the one that I care most about."

"I'm Drizzt..." He hesitated and looked down at Ravenlight, a fond smile touching his lips, "Cothy'rim. This is my sister, Ravenlight _Dovahkiin_." He leaned back, gently resting a hand on her hair. "We hail from Skyrim, but we're both from other places."

"_Dovahkiin_? Well shit." Veleth snorted. "That...is something. Two heroes in one place. Now I'm _really_ concerned about what we were called here for. I do have to ask though. You are not Dunmer, yet you are a dark elf. How far is this other place?"

Drizzt stiffened a little. "Very far. I never...really figured it out." He glanced down at her, then let out a breath in a sort of laugh. "I arrived in Skyrim after a wizard's camp I was passing blew up."

"See, this is why I don't trust magic. Always doing something no one can fully explain." Veleth shook his head. "Suppose it doesn't matter. I was just curious how an actual dark elf made it here. We might be called 'dun' but we aren't truly dark elves."

"I am...grateful for that, as odd as it may sound." Drizzt sighed. "My kin are...I'm not like them. But for many, many years, it didn't matter. Here, I...I'm a little unusual, but nothing else. Nothing...terrifying." A weak, barely intelligible voice mumbled, and he looked down quickly. "Ravenlight?"

"Said, unless they see you lose it." She coughed. "Healing potion, gods, _please_."

Veleth nudged her pack closer with his foot. "While I'm assured that you are rather formidable in a fight, I'm well aware you are nothing I need to be worried about."

Drizzt dug out the potion and propped her up, helping her drink it. "Well...don't be too certain. Ravenlight, how are you feeling?"

She swallowed and grimaced. "Weak, achy... headache's going away now,at least, it felt like a giant was beating on my skull before." She glanced over at Veleth. "How's your friend?"

Veleth nudged Nevano, earning an irritable grunt. "He'll be fine. Just ignore the first thing that comes out of his mouth when he wakes up. He's one of those."

"Oh." She sat up, grimacing, and leaned against Drizzt. "Like my brother." He glanced at her, half offended, and she grunted. "Not you, Sparrowwing."

Veleth snorted. "I know how to shut him up if he gets too snappy. Thank you, though, for saving him. There is no way I'd be able to go home if he had gotten himself killed."

She smiled a little. "Good to hear he will be all right. I'd hate to have gone through that if it wasn't...worth it."

Veleth nudged Nevano again and smirked when he got kicked in return. "Well, it was worth it to me and our small combined family. I know quite a few who would say it wasn't and would have done everything to convince you to let him die...or finish him themselves. Worth can be very individual based."

"I know." She gave her brother an odd look, making him turn slightly purple and look away. "In this case, though, it means I was able to fix...an appalling mistake." She sighed. "I kind of want to punch Durnehviir in the nose the next time I see him after all that."

Veleth shrugged. "I promise you that even if you hadn't used that...shout, he would have found something else to try to kill himself with. He managed to nearly kill himself with a piece of rock the size of my thumbnail once. For someone who can't die by normal means, he certainly can't keep out of trouble"

"Can't die by normal means?" Both looked at him curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Veleth mentally kicked himself. He hadn't intended to let that slip out unless Nevano himself said it. He blamed it on him being tired. He wasn't watching himself. But he couldn't take it back now. "Ravenlight, yes? You are the _Dovahkiin_?"

She gave him a look remarkably like his 'unamused guard captain' look, only this one also suggested she might be dealing with a child with some...limited mental capacities. "I'm going to assume he told you my name, if the fact that I used three Thu'ums didn't give it away."

He didn't feel the least bit abashed. "We got rudimentary introductions out of the way. We heard of the Dovahkiin in Morrowind but we were...a bit preoccupied. Some details were not passed along. I knew of shouts but have never had one described before. Bit of a learning experience."

She tipped her head slightly in acknowledgment. "That does make a bit of a difference. Yes, I am." She paused. "I...half-heard the introductions. You said his name was Nevano...and then something about two heroes in the same place." She raised one eyebrow. "Nevano… Nerevar. Am I right?"

Veleth nodded his head and smiled a bit. "As if Trueflame and Hopesfire didn't give it away."

Drizzt shrugged. "I've never seen either before, and Ravenlight's preferred sword also has a flame enchantment." He frowned, as if remembering something. "So...he's the Nerevarine? He'd know what the Sixth House was, then."

Veleth frowned, their trip to Vvardenfell all too recent in his mind. "Unfortunately. Why do you want to know about them?"

"Nothing much. Someone once called me a 'mercenary from the dregs of the Sixth House." Drizzt shrugged, not quite ignoring the flash of murder that blazed in his sister's eyes as he spoke. "It didn't mean anything to me, but Ravenlight..."

"I'd have broken a lot more than his _foot_ if I could have gotten away with it, let me tell you," she growled

Veleth grunted "Feel free to send the next fetcher who utters that to whatever healer feels like taking him in tiny pieces. I'd let you go free on that. Dagoth Ur betrayed our entire race. His actions led to Nerevar's death, cursed our people and damn near destroyed all of Tamriel until Nevano stopped him. In between all that, he twisted and warped his followers until the didn't even look mer."

"Oh." Drizzt considered, then the corner of his mouth curled up in a sardonic smile. "In other words, he called me a Drow."

Veleth tilted his head a bit. "There's a word I've only heard of in stories. My father told me once of elves that lived deep underground and weren't exactly friendly. Didn't think much of it since we Dunmer aren't exactly warm ourselves. From what you just said, I should rethink that." He glanced down at Nevano and shuddered a bit thinking of their encounter with the Heart. "I think I'll take Drow over Dagoth Ur and ash vampires any day though, if it's all the same to you."

"I _am_ a Drow. And I don't know much about Dagoth Ur, but...I don't think your stories do my people justice, considering the reaction of the few who know." Drizzt leaned back and sighed, then looked down at Ravenlight, smiling as she sagged forward against him again. "She really does need to rest, she usually doesn't fall asleep on me like this."

He was very curious now but he'd ask later, if they found themselves traveling the same road. Besides, there was a lot of sense in his words. They all needed rest. There was more to come.

"I can take first watch." He offered.

Drizzt glanced up at him, then down at Ravenlight and nodded. "I'll take second: you need to rest, too. Guen."

The big cat lifted her head and looked at him. Drizzt nodded toward Veleth. "Go with him, keep watch. The panther looked disdainfully at Veleth, then back at Drizzt. The tip of her tail flicked a little. He chuckled. "I've got her. You go make sure nothing's trying to find its way up here in the rain."

Veleth watched the interaction between the two with more than a passing interest. The cat was more than a mere enormous feline. Idly he wondered if the thing was from Elsweyr. As long as it didn't drool everywhere or eat his belt like his mother's dog, they'd get along fine.

Carefully he got up, mindful to not jostle Nevano and stretched, wincing a bit at sore muscles. He dropped his own blanket on Nevano and picked up his sword, ready for a long watch. He was exhausted but he felt that sleep was nigh impossible for him to reach. There was too much to think on.

With a very human sigh, the cat rose and padded toward the cave entrance, taking up a position beside him, and gazing out impassively into the rain. The storm had slackened a little: rain still poured, but the lightning, at least, had moved off, and the thunder was no more than the occasional rumble. Beside the fire, Drizzt carefully added another few branches, then arranged Ravenlight more comfortably and leaned back, closing his eyes and resting until his watch.

Veleth found a rock he could lean comfortably against. Normally it wasn't something he did; he was used to standing statue-still for hours on end, but he'd make an exception this time. No one was going to tell him off. The rage beast was quiet for the most part. It still growled in the direction of the ruins but there was nothing around them that called for concern.

The three interesting strangers were genuine. He hadn't caught a single full lie. He didn't have the full story but that was how strangers went. He just hoped Nevano would be in a good enough way to not shut down when they asked questions. He glanced back at his shield brother. They hadn't expected to be attacked at a spirit level. Hopefully, that was a one-time thing.

* * *

The night passed quietly, but as the morning drew close, Ravenlight's previously quiet sleep became troubled. She frowned, her eyes flickering back and forth quickly behind her lids, her breath hitching, before becoming quick and ragged.

Drizzt was midway through his watch, and was mostly concentrating on not dozing off in the apparent quiet. He'd had some sleep, but not as much as he'd have liked, and by now he was blurring in between wakefulness and a light, standing doze. He didn't notice her restlessness at first-but when she suddenly jerked up with a piercing shriek, he noticed. It would have been very hard not to.

Veleth had finally dozed off, one arm thrown over Nevano in a reflex when the smaller mer had kicked him. Then a shriek had ripped through their cozy little cave. He never remembered leaping up. He certainly didn't recall grabbing his sword. He only came to standing, fully ready, sword drawn and wildly grabbing for a...unamused rage beast?

Drizzt glanced at him as he went over to Ravenlight. She was sitting up, breathing hard and staring at nothing, limbs trembling.

"Nightmare," he explained to the wild-eyed Mer as he knelt beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "_Essiel_, it's all right. Just Vaermina playing games again?"

She looked at him wildly for a second, then blinked and seemed to come fully awake. "Gods," she muttered, before suddenly leaping up and running for the cave entrance, her hand clapped over her mouth.

Drizzt rose to his feet, frowning. "That's...not normal," he muttered.

"It's from whatever that ugly beastie at the ruins was."

Veleth glanced over at Nevano who had finally woken up.

"Something really bad is down there. I'd tell you more but Nerevar is still staring at a corner." Nevano looked more than a little...disheveled as he sat up. "Something about being shook loose in your own damn body by someone screaming at you will do that."

Veleth rolled his eyes. "My mother does that to you on a regular basis. Don't whine." He looked to Drizzt. "Very well could be that. This is not Vaermina's doing. Not sure she'd intrude right now..."

"No, it's not Vaermina." Ravenlight reappeared, paler than a ghost, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "It usually is; I did her a bad turn once, and she's been repaying the favor with interest ever since. But this..." She looked at Nevano. "You're right. It's whatever's in the ruins, and it..." She shook her head. "We're neck-deep in daedroth shit and no mistake. If what I just went through was even _half_ accurate, then not only were Isran and Serana not overreacting, they weren't worried _enough._"

Nevano sighed, pinching his nose. "Considering we were warned by a daedric prince...probably not. My mental roommate was worried. He doesn't worry. Ever." He looked back up at her. "Hell of a way to make new friends though. Have to say this is new even for me"

"New for us, too." Dragonborn and Nerevarine regarded each other for a moment. "And trust me when I say I hope it's the last time I have to do _either_ of those again. Soul Tear is just _nasty_ right down to it...and that other one _hurt_."

"Soul Tear? That explains a lot..." Nevano got up, scratching at dried blood on his ears. "Just a bit worse than getting tossed across a room by a pissed off freeze dried corpse screaming obscenities at you. Still, next time I see you taking a big breath, I'm running across the room."

"Next time I say, _Get behind me_, you might want to listen." Ravenlight flopped down by the fire, staring blankly into the flames. "So, were you warned about what was in there too, or should I...tell you what I saw? Because going into that ruin blind would be a worse idea than trying to storm Labyrinthian bare-handed and in nothing but your skin."

Nevano shrugged. "In my defense, that was the _last_ thing I expected. Not sure there's a short way of screaming 'I'm tearing every soul anchor in the room to shreds' though. And the warning came through Bull here. I'm just the fortunate soul who was closest in his anxious flight from Morrowind."

Veleth made a face. "Wasn't _that_ bad."

"Yes, it was. I told you to wait for twins and Nevusa." Nevano waved him silent. "Go ahead. Let's see how these stories line up"

"All right." Ravenlight leaned back. "What do you know about the first vampire?"

"Absolutely nothing." Nevano said.

"Sad tale really." Veleth said. "Rape, rage, misunderstanding, attempted murder and then wholesale slaughter."

"Well. She apparently hated Bal for what he did to her." Ravenlight's lips thinned. "_He_, of course, found that amusing-and took that fury she directed at him, and bound it into armor. I could not tell whether he bound it into an armor _she_ was wearing, or just a set of armor that might...appeal to women. Called it the Armor of Wrath." She shuddered violently. "That _thing_ we fought? Early version of a thrall. Warped by that damn armor." She paused. "And what it was wearing was just a _copy_. The...mistress is still in there. Not as rotten as the thrall, but...just as dangerous. Worse, actually. And I have _no_ idea what to do about the armor."

"Find a way to unbind it," Nevano said. Unbind and banish. Then destroy what is left and never use that metal for anything else."

"If you know how to do that, I will happily step back and allow you to do it." Ravenlight shivered. "We'll have enough on our plate dealing with the thralls. There's more than one in there. Especially now." She shuddered in revulsion. "Some of the Thalmor got into the ruin before we arrived. They, ah...they're still there. That's...actually what I saw in the dream. What...happened to them."

"No matter how many times they get into trouble or how many times their people get horribly mutilated, they still keep trying!" Nevano threw his hands in the air. "Amazing! Just...amazing...Bull, your eyes are glowing."

Veleth growled. "That...I need to have a word with her..."

Now THAT didn't surprise Nevano in the slightest. A daedra being vague. Shocking exactly no one. Except maybe poor Bull. "By words you mean that pretty sword of yours?"

"Oh, by the way...I don't exactly _know_ a mage that can, but I know where to start." Nevano said. "More than welcome to come along. See it through. Or take over if I'm wrong."

"Good, because I may technically be Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, but I got that title with my blade and bow far more than with my magic." Ravenlight sighed. "And while I'm partly glad I brought the Bow of Auri-El-and remembered to have Gelebor enchant four quiver's worth of arrows for it-I'm also wondering if Wraithcaptor's enchantment might not be more useful for this. I know this, I _don't_ want to have to use Soul Tear on everything in that place. If it comes to that, I'd just as soon just collapse the roof and hills and bury it all again."

"They won't learn their lesson," Nevano said. "No one ever does. People like us get stuck cleaning up the mess because no one can leave damn well enough alone." He sighed. "I will say I want to know _WHY_ they want it. Wait, no I don't."

"Oh, I saw that, too." Ravenlight's lip curled. "Believe it or not, they're not _actually_ to blame. The mistress down there has been...awake ever since she was sealed. She wants out and has been sending out...messages. Lying messages, claiming that what lies down there is power for the taking-maybe some ancient Elvish relic or such, something that a frantic Thalmor official wouldn't be able to resist. They have no idea what they're actually doing in this case."

Nevano started ticking off his fingers. "Evil it-beast sealed away. Previously not-evil object ruined by it-beast. Whispering in the dark that makes every idiot in the area wet themselves. Highly annoyed heroes who aren't fully thrilled to dive into a cesspit of creepy undead to fix a mess. This time, I'm making sure to get a cut of the book deal that comes from this. I even have the perfect ending!" Nevano said with mock excitement. "Racing across several provinces because _of course_ something will protest this, to a group of utterly insane wild folk who happen to know how to deal with everything dead."

Veleth groaned. "I was afraid you were going to say we go to them."

"She will be _thrilled_ to see you again."

"Bard's College doesn't offer book deals," Ravenlight said, straight-faced, "but I'll get the details to Talsgar the Wanderer in Skyrim once this is done with. What he makes of _this_ might even be more popular than 'The Bard's Beatdown."

Drizzt instantly turned an interesting shade of bright purple. "Oh, you just _had_ mention that, didn't you," he muttered. "And I am all for insane wild folk who know how to deal with everything dead, because I also don't want to have to fight an entire ruin of those reeking monstrosities on our own." He glanced between the two and grinned. "And the two of us actually have a way to make 'racing across several provinces' much easier. Would you prefer magical mounts, or dragonback?"

"Dragons?"

Nevano nearly laughed out loud when Veleth leaned forward, the careful hold he leashed his feelings with obliterated by an adolescent excitement of the prospect of meeting a dragon that wouldn't try to eat him.

Ravenlight and Drizzt glanced at each other and laughed. "Sounds like Odahviing will be living up to his promise quicker than he thought," Ravenlight quipped, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Let's go find a clear place where I can call him."

"I thought you wanted to punch Durnehviir," Drizzt responded.

"Punch him in the nose, yes. _Ride_ him, no." Ravenlight made a face. "Only in _extreme_ duress, and that is not now."

"Meet a dragon..._that_ is a story to bring home." Nevano paused. "Uhhh...did we...do our own introductions? Or was I passed out for that?"

"Oh, my apologies. You were still unconscious." Drizzt gestured. "I'm Drizzt Cothy'rim. This is my sister, Ravenlight Dovahkiin." He nodded toward Veleth. "He told us who you are already."

"That explains that...buuuuut..." Nevano trailed off.

"It's not, he's not, it's a fun story for later." Veleth said. "Magic happened. Like how the Temple of Almalexia mysteriously blew up."

"I'm adopted, if that's what you're wondering about," Drizzt said. He gave Nevano an interested look. "Why do I get the impression you had something to do with this temple blowing up?"

"I will only take credit for the _idea_. I had nothing to do with it actually blowing up!" Nevano gave his absolute best wide-eyed innocent look. "Besides...I was chained to a damn tower bell."

Veleth glared at him. "You were the only one who didn't flinch when the damn thing went up in the air."

"I wasn't, but everyone was too busy being shocked that I got something other than annoyance on that general's face." Nevano cackled.

Veleth spun to Drizzt and Ravenlight. "You want him? I'll even send along the merry band of idiots he's gotten together that make up the shadow of a Fighters Guild. Make my job _so_ much easier. Not to mention my daily headaches will disappear."

"You're married. Those headaches ain't coming from me." Nevano helpfully piped in.

"He's free." Veleth deadpanned

"I'm not looking," Ravenlight answered, equally deadpan. She glanced between them. "All right, if we're really needing to head across several provinces by dragonback, I need to go call Odahviing, because even though he can hear me across Tamriel, it's going to take him a few hours to fly here from Skyrim. Nevano, you might want to stay here while I go do that, if my Shouts give you that much trouble."

"You say 'free' but really, no one can afford me anymore. I get to set my own price tag now." Nevano started to say but stopped with a shudder. His head twitched to the side and he winced a bit. "Just..._ask_...fetcher..."

Veleth frowned. This was new.

"Do not call the dragon." Nevano's voice was deeper, his accent going from his Cyrodilic tilt to a thick accent that sounded similar to that of the Ashlanders. "If you do, keep him away. Away until after you get the armor."

Ravenlight jerked a little, then exhaled, her eyes...changing. They did not seem to go garnet, this time...but there was a definite difference to how they normally appeared. "What do you know, Nerevar? I will not go against your council, but I will ask for the reasoning behind it."

Drizzt tried hard to keep his breathing under control. Her voice was not the deeper resonance of the Dov; this was a clear, almost fearsome quality, not quite aloof, but above.

The Daughter of Akatosh was speaking.

"Dragon Queen." Nerevar, speaking through Nevano, bowed his head. "The progenitor of the clans has been found. Lyrezi, Selenu and Vraseth have heard her call. They have answered. What's more, the rival clans have also heard. Anthontis, Garlythi, Haarvenu, Khulari, Montalion and Thrafey. While the progeny clans will wish to raise her and preserve her...the others will want to destroy her, as it will weaken their rivals and allow them to elevate themselves, securing their power. These clans have historically warred with each other. They have moved very fast, using the cover of the storm to travel during the day. You must hurry before a massive clan war breaks out...and there will be enough here to easily overwhelm a single dragon."

"If the strength of the clans is as great as you say, there will be enough here to overwhelm more than simply a dragon." The Daughter of Akatosh frowned, narrowing her strangely-glowing eyes in thought. Then she turned to Drizzt. "Brother, call Andahar; I will call Arvak forth. We must all of us leave this place as swiftly as possible. No move can be made with the Armor before the clans have finished warring, and we must gather allies to strike as soon as the victor is revealed."

"We can't rule out that the Thalmor will send a more powerful force once they realize this area has gone dark."

Her smile had a decidedly unpleasant aspect to it. "Indeed? Then we shall wait and see whether the Thalmor will defeat the clans, or be defeated by them."

Veleth tapped his fingers. "You both are more than well aware that nothing ever falls according to plan. There is a chance that we will come back with allies and something catastrophic has happened. If it's possible at all...we should get the crazy girl to unbind and banish as soon as we find it."

"True." Drizzt considered. "But going into the ruin will be difficult and dangerous, and even if we succeed, we'll come out tired and vulnerable. By that time, these clans will have gathered-and I would rather not retrieve the armor only to have it taken from our corpses by whichever clan happened upon us first. We'll find this crazy girl you're speaking of, then issue a call to gather here to all those who consider us allies and friends, and return here as swiftly as possible." He looked at Ravenlight. "With more than one dragon, I would assume, to aid."

"I wasn't suggesting we go in now. Not in the slightest. I can't stand undead." Veleth made a face. "I'm saying that the armor might be on its way to a different vampire den...or this rather nasty vampire is busily taking over. Just something to be prepared for."

"That possibility did occur to me." Ravenlight still hadn't returned to normal. "It's one of the reasons that we're going to get in contact with Valerica as well as Serana. Serana's connections to the Dawnguard might be too well known by now; but Valerica would be an excellent agent, if need be."

"We will call upon Veloth's people as well. Though this is unfamiliar territory, their ability to scout is unparalleled." Nerevar said. He tilted his head a bit. "Nevano said there might be allies here already. The Buoyant Armigers have agents in every province. The Bull here still has connections to them."

"Oh, _vith_, I forgot about that!" Veleth grunted. "I'm still...working out the kinks with them."

"A good course of action." The Daughter of Akatosh lifted her head, apparently listening to something the others couldn't hear. "But we must go _now_. Our window of opportunity grows slim." She raised her hand, a blue-black summoning spell appearing in it. "Drizzt, now!" She released her spell, and the portal appeared-and a black, skeletal horse with purple-blue fire for a mane and tail sprang out. Drizzt blew his whistle, calling Andahar. "Mount! And ride for our lives!"

Veleth recoiled from the skeletal horse on reflex.

"Don't flinch!" Nevano's voice went back to normal. "You didn't face a daedra lord to flinch at a magic horse."

"Mount!" Ravenlight vaulted up, grabbing for the collar of the nearest Dunmer and dragging him up to join her. "Don't hesitate, damn it, they're getting close! Drizzt, take the other and follow close! Ride hard!"

Veleth had to fight his fear _hard_ on the back of a skeletal horse. No matter what he did, or how hard he tried, he could never get the lurch of fear to ease around things dead or decaying. Being on the back of a _dead horse_ was _not_ how he wanted to spend this day.

Nevano, for his part, leaped up behind Drizzt. "He's never going to shut up about this."

"Well," Drizzt grunted, kicking the unicorn into a dead run and following Arvak's trail, "at least he's got a chance to be _alive_ to complain!"

"He'd come out alive. One way or another." Nevano said. "I can't say he's a beloved champion...but he hasn't faced this big bad vampire yet. There are powers that are curious how he'd do in a fight against it. I think that's part of the reason we were led here"

"Fairly straightforward on our part," Drizzt muttered. "Serana...well, you're probably going to meet her and her mother eventually, so I might as well prepare you. She's a vampire, about five thousand years old; locked up for all but perhaps five hundred years of it, including the past five. A Daughter of Coldharbour. She hates her kind, and has been working the vampire hunters, the Dawnguard, for four years now."

A narrow gully appeared in their path. Ahead of them, Arvak vaulted it. Ravenlight riding easily, Veleth clinging in an undignified fashion. His yelp as the skeletal horse landed was clearly audible.

"For all I know, Serana might have been able to hear the call of the mistress of that ruin: she'd just know what was calling, and to ignore it. If so, she likely knew that it had found someone who was paying attention. We were..." He considered. "Available for the mission. And strong enough to see it through. That's why we came."

"Look, Veleth said you are trustworthy. I call him Bull but he can sniff out lies and trouble better than anyone I know. If he trusts you, then I do too. So if you say you know a vampire who is trustworthy and is on your side? Friend of my friend is...a friend." Nevano said. "However we got here, however truthful or not we were told to come...we all apparently were the best for the job. And we know more people that will be best for the job. Just don't doubt _too_ much when you meet our crazy girl. She and her people are...special. That's really the best way I can sum it up."

"If they can help, I'm not going to complain." Up ahead, Arvak turned down a small valley that twisted quickly out of sight. Drizzt urged Andahar a little faster. He could hear something now; footsteps, creaking leather and metal, and hushed voices. He looked up, noting with relief that the clouds were starting to clear: the vampires would have to find cover quickly. Even if they did hear the hoofbeats, they wouldn't be able to give chase for long. "We've got some...special folk to call on as well."

Nevano glanced up at the sky. "I still have enough time..." He pulled an arrow out. "I don't know about you but I can't stand the feeling of something at my back"

"Make sure that doesn't bring anything that wasn't chasing us to begin with," Drizzt growled. "We've got a small army out there."

Nevano sighted along Bonebiter. "_Luhn-silvar, dayn-sur, Gahmerdehn am as San Rouan, fredad osuhl!_" he prayed. As he uttered the words, the perfume of roses filled his nose. The fletching of the arrow in his fingers warmed to the touch. He could feel power building all around them.

"No. Just stopping that army." He let the arrow fly. Instead of flying through the air towards a target, the arrow dove into the ground like a dolphin disappearing beneath the waves. Much like a dolphin, it traveled under the ground. In its wake, roots began to sprout and grow. Leaves and blooms sprouted, thorns as long as his arm grew in mere seconds. By the time the arrow came to rest underground, a massive fence of rose thorns had grown high into the air, their fragrant scent heavy in the air, almost challenging those who encountered it to try to scale its thorns. Nevano grinned as several screams echoed behind them. The fence of thorns did not remain still even after it finished forming. "That'll give us some distance."

Drizzt glanced back and nodded. "She is helpful when she wants to be. Good; it might actually let us get away." He settled himself in the saddle a little. "Get comfortable," he advised wryly. "We're going to be riding for a while."


	3. Mutes and Spiders

**Mutes and Spiders**

Andahar, an enchanted mount, did not tire easily. Arvak had been running for centuries by the time Ravenlight retrieved his skull in the Soul Cairn. The two creatures could probably have galloped the length of Tamriel. Their riders, however, could not last that long without a rest. Still, they'd put quite a few miles between them and the army by the time they finally drew to a halt.

Though Veleth had finally settled a bit, he wasn't fully comfortable with the undead horse under him and was more than happy with the halt. Still, he had to admit it was far more effective than any mount he had ever had. He still wasn't about to do this ever again.

By the time they drew to a halt, they were near a small town well over half a day's hard ride from the ruin. Ravenlight grunted as she slipped off. Even with the saddle, Arvak was not really the most comfortable mount she'd ever ridden. However, as he lowered his skeletal head for a friendly stroke before vanishing, she had to admit he was useful-and friendly, for how unnerving he appeared.

Nevano slid smoothly off Andahar. "Ok Vel, serious question...riding a skeleton horse or crashing into an Ashlander sentry mummy?"

Veleth felt his ears burn red hot. Gods DAMMIT! That mer was like a starving dog with a bone when it came to that incident! Fortunately, before he could really get into it, he saw a familiar sign. He ran his hand over the small simple daedric letter carved into the tree, the clawed finger guards of his armor bumping over the harsh lines. "This one is fresh. There's an Armiger here."

Nevano dropped the nonsense. "I know it's been a year and a half but...what are the chances this one was one of Jorun's?"

"I don't know." Veleth answered honestly. "No matter how much I find, it's all still so deeply hidden. There's a good chance though. Just...got to find him first."

"We'll have to let you do the looking," Ravenlight said, stretching a little. Behind them, she heard Drizzt dismissing Andahar. "I know something about the countries outside of Skyrim, but...well, during the time I was traveling, I was so driven by wanderlust that I didn't stop to learn much more than the lay of the land. And Drizzt is a stranger to most of Tamriel."

"Well, I'm no better off. This is my first time outside of Morrowind." Veleth admitted.

"Have I taught you nothing?" Nevano said, crossing his arms. "Land changes, people change...but some things don't. That town looks a decent enough size. Find the local tavern or wherever is the favorite gathering spot. If there is something going on, they will gossip about it. Ask the right questions without sounding too nosy, someone will give exactly what you want to know. We've gone over this. If Raven Rock can have a decent gossip pool, this place will have a good one too."

Veleth looked over at Ravenlight and Drizzt. They didn't have a lot of time but if he could find that Armiger, it would make things so much easier.

"That I can do. What exactly would I be looking for to spot an Armiger?" Ravenlight reached up and pulled off her helmet, shaking her soft black hair back from her face.

"That's the thing...they are anything," Veleth said. "I've had one just...appear out of the woods once. Like a damned deer. I know a few guards at Rootspire were Armigers. They are everywhere. They could be anything from a local hunter to a traveling merchant to someone steadily employed. Most are Dunmer but I swear I saw a file that showed that they would recruit locals, making it that much harder. That file wasn't there the next day. My own guards have Armigers but I can't pinpoint them."

"Would it help to find this Armiger if we mentioned there was an army of vampires gathering to fight over some kind of cursed item a day's ride away?" Drizzt asked wryly.

"Maybe. The mass panic in town wouldn't help though." Nevano said. He tapped his fingers. "If you scare them, not even Ravenlight swishing her hair will distract them enough to tell you which way was north, let alone if there's an elf they don't remember seeing before around here."

"True." Drizzt sighed, glancing briefly over at Ravenlight as he noticed her rolling her fingers around one hand. He concealed the smile as he realized she was starting to build up a tiny ice ball between her fingers. "But, _would_ he be someone they don't remember seeing before? If there are Armigers among your guard force, what's to stop them from being in this one, or in whatever might pass for the Fighter's Guild or Companions?"

"Absolutely nothing." Nevano said. "Vel said they were in Rootspire Guard...thats a separate guard entirely, not under him. That's the… 'royal' guard, or whatever they call themselves to feel important. What we need to do is cause a bit of a scene that will capture a _lot_ of attention. If we can get a sizeable crowd, I have a bit of a trick up my sleeve to get them talking. And Ravenlight don't _even_ throw that at me."

"Don't worry, Sparrowwing," she said coolly, flicking the tiny hailstone into the air. "Or should I call you Jarlaxle? I'll let you handle the scene-making: I'll watch from the sidelines. Especially for any Thalmor; there might still be some in the area that didn't go to the ruin."

Nevano sighed. Great. She was one of those. "I'm not going after you, if that's what you think. I've had my shot. It's over. End of story. What is going on here is manipulation. We need to get something done _now_ and two things accomplish that in the speed we need; blood or beauty. Since none of us will ever go through a town butchering half its occupants, the second option it is. You are a pretty girl and I'm stating that as a fact. I can use my ring to get lips loose but I need your _help_ in getting that attention."

She gave him a long, suspicious look. "You'd better mean that. I've had my 'shot', too, as it were, and I'm not looking to replace him any time soon. So. If I can trust you to keep that out of the equation, we can work together. But are other things that can help with information-gathering; honest curiosity and a silver tongue, both of which I have. Which was why I asked earlier, what _skills_, what knowledge, might an Armiger show that would help us pinpoint him? What might he know that others wouldn't that I could look for to pick him out?"

"Your name isn't Sorosi, therefore I'm not interested. If it makes you feel better, even Nerevar isn't interested. Granted, I think he has the clearest point out of the three of us, seeing as how he was murdered by his own wife..." Nevano waved it off. "Anyway, no. We are merely playing a part."

"What Nevano is trying to say..." Veleth broke in before Nevano could dig his grave any deeper, "There is no set thing for you to be able to tell them apart. That's their training. They are invisible. The whole act you are going to put on? It's to attract the Armiger's attention and tell him we are looking for him. _He_ will come to _us_ but only if you play this right. You can't wave a sign that you are looking for a Morrowind spy. He won't break his cover." Veleth wracked his memory, trying to think if he knew of any choice phrase that would indicate to an Armiger they needed help. "If you can mention the Webspinner or...mutes. Mention Mutes! Spiders and Mutes!"

Ravenlight frowned. "If I have to 'play that part,' as you say, I'd really rather be pretending with Drizzt. At the least, we're already affectionate toward each other. And we've pretended before in situations where it might be dangerous otherwise. Spiders and Mutes? I could find a reason to mention those."

"If that is what makes you comfortable, then do it." Nevano said. "I'll do what I can on my end. Vel...keep watch that nothing comes sneaking into town."

"I also want to discreetly alert the guard force," Drizzt said. "They might not be up to the task, but if they know what the danger is, they're less likely to be overwhelmed by the unknown."

"All right." Ravenlight sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Come on, _uhiel_."

He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't call me that in town." he warned. "Some of the locals might know enough Bosmeri to know what that means."

* * *

The local tavern was small, but not too dingy: perhaps not the level of the Winking Skeever or even the Bannered Mare, but not so poor as the Moorside Inn. Ravenlight and Drizzt came in and took quick stock. It was fairly full of a variety of folk enjoying food and drink, noisy, but not so much so that any conversation would be drowned out, and-what was more-no one was drunk enough to ignore two new faces. They ordered a meal and a drink and sat at the counter, chatting idly with each other for a while, before Ravenlight signaled the barman.

"If you wouldn't mind; is there a reliable courier service here in town, or would we need to go on to a larger city? We need to get a message to Skyrim."

* * *

Nevano let them have a head start before making his way into town. He had a nagging anxiety he couldn't shake. He wanted to get a better lay of the town as a whole before he made his way to the tavern. He put his trust in Ravenlight and Drizzt to get things stirred up before he headed over.

* * *

Veleth, meanwhile, stayed away from the town. There was only a single guard, more gatekeeper than anything. This was concerning. This was a decent sized town. There should be at least a few guards, even if they were sent from the closest large city. No town felt secure enough that they wouldn't have guards. Where was the watch?

* * *

The barman set down the glass he was wiping and grunted. "Not necessarily reliable, but we have couriers. I can get the message to them if you want to give it."

"That would be helpful!" Ravenlight gave him a friendly smile, sliding a little closer to Drizzt. "Sending word to some of his family from Morrowind; they've moved into the Rift recently. Had some business here that needed to be taken care of. "

"What's the message, then?" He looked them over, and they could both tell he was counting up how much coin they might have. "And if it's long, it'll cost more."

"Well, it's not as if I can deny that Skyrim's a fair distance away," Ravenlight said carelessly. "Let's see..."

"The message is, "You were right, and it's worse than we thought."" Drizzt interjected.

The bartender lifted his eyebrows. "Quite the message. What's this about?"

Ravenlight waved a hand. "Just something she asked us to check up on. It's going to take us about three times as long as we'd hoped." She paused, then glanced at Drizzt. "Should we mention the spiders? I know that mine has a problem with them, and I can't remember if she knows about them or not." The emphasis she put on the word 'spiders' was subtle...but it was there.

* * *

Veleth came across the stable. There were horses in every stall, a bit unusual seeing as how there didn't seem to be many visitors here. Then he saw a familiar saddle. Dark leather, swirling tooling that was not commonly seen in the north. The horses, too, were familiar. Leggy and fine-boned. 'More flash than horse flesh' he distinctly remembered General Relas griping about. Fit the typical Thalmor fashion sense. _Oh vith…_

* * *

Nevano couldn't settle. At all. Not even the thought of getting something to drink was appealing, which was saying something. He _had_ been looking forward to seeing if High Rock had any liquor worthwhile, something that caused Nerevar to grumble in disapproval. _'It's not an issue, shut up'_, he thought as loud as he could. Nerevar heavily disagreed. _'If you think you can convince me that...'_ Nevano felt his own thoughts trail off as a door not quite shut caught his eye. Everything else in this town was nice and tidy, which made this cracked open door stand out a bit.

He slipped over to it, carefully easing it open a few inches more with his foot. He could hear voices arguing amongst themselves urgently...voices that weren't human.

* * *

"Frostbite spiders are a common enough problem that she shouldn't need to worry," Drizzt answered. "I'm wondering if she remembered to get the trade agreement to that fellow...what was his name? Murth? Mute?"

"Muir," Ravenlight 'corrected' with a laugh. "Divines, you're terrible with names. No, she said she'd have that done before we came back. I think it'll be good as is."

"Hmm." The barman nodded. "Just, 'You were right, and worse than we thought', then?"

"Yes." They both nodded. "And it'll be for Serana of the Dawnguard."

* * *

Veleth ran through the woods, equal parts terrified and enraged. When he had said to use the word Mute, he hadn't meant for one to actually BE here. They were in danger, big danger. If the Buoyant Armigers were Morrowind's elite spy network, the Mute were the Thalmor's torturers. Drizzt and Ravenlight had no idea. Nevano knew the danger. He _knew_. He couldn't let them face the possibility of facing a Mute alone. He had to find them NOW.

* * *

They left the inn with apparent carelessness. But it wasn't much longer before both Drizzt and Ravenlight felt the prickle on their necks that meant danger. They weren't sure where it was coming from, or the cause...but they'd attracted trouble, somehow.

"We threw a line, and I think we caught a fish," Ravenlight murmured, casually dropping her hand to the Dawnbreaker's hilt; "but I don't know if it's the one we were wanting or not."

A voice spoke from the shadows nearby, making them both halt. "I suppose that depends on what kind of 'fish' you were wanting."

* * *

Veleth saw the shadow by them move. Heard it. He couldn't make out what was being said though. Mostly because the blood was pounding in his ears as his rage made his vision tinge red. He could close that distance quickly...but quick enough before someone got hurt? The beast growled in anticipation of a challenge. He was certainly going to test it out.

* * *

"And you would be?" Ravenlight couldn't _see_ the person hidden in the shadows, but she could tell where he was well enough to aim a Shout, if necessary. Drizzt was braced as well, his hands on his blades. It was possible this wasn't their only stalker, and he wanted to be ready.

"Does it matter?" The tone was mocking.

"It certainly might. Especially if you're a Thalmor, which your accent seems to suggest." Ravenlight paused. "Are you a subordinate, or the one in charge? Because either way, it might surprise you to find out what's actually _at_ that ruin in the hills. Especially now."

* * *

A feral growl bubbled up his throat, echoing out like a dragon. His vision narrowed in on the figure in the shadows. He could hear the heart beating, could see the blood pumping through the veins. It had no idea he was there. The kill would be fast

* * *

"How do you mean?" The Thalmor-unexpectedly-stepped into the open. He was a Thalmor, all right: the quality of his armor suggesting that he was of high rank, though probably not in command. "I know something's been going on out there." His eyes narrowed. "I don't suppose I have to say that if you were involved-"

"That message we sent was real." Ravenlight interrupted. "It was to Lady Serana Volkihar, the only vampire member of the vampire hunters of the Dawnguard. She sent us out here to find out what was happening with a particularly _vile_ vampire artifact called the Armor of Wrath." Her eyes bored into his. "Your people are trying to dig it up. They're being played for fools by the creature that's actually _in_ the ruin, and I think that if I told you what's happening to anyone who gets in as well, you wouldn't stop vomiting for several minutes."

* * *

The muscles in Veleth's legs tightened. He could feel the heat of blood already. He could absolutely...

An arm snaked around his throat and yanked him backwards.

* * *

The Thalmor glared at them, suspicious. "And how do you know this?"

"We _fought_ one of the creatures from inside the ruin," Drizzt said quietly. "Both of us have fought numerous undead. Neither one has seen anything like it. Worse than a lich or a draugr: some kind of vampire, but as rotten as a month-old corpse."

"And then I...saw what was going on in there. In a dream." Ravenlight shuddered. "Azura's doing that time, not that I appreciated it more than when Vaermina gives me trouble." She met his gaze. "I'll not deny it, I have real reason to hate your kind. But when it comes down to a choice between vampires and Thalmor...well, at least your kin are still _alive_."

He hesitated, wavering. "The message. You said it was worse than expected. How?"

"Because there are at least a dozen vampire clans converging on the ruin." Both Ravenlight and Drizzt spoke at the same time. "They used the storm yesterday to their advantage. We were barely able to get out of the area before they arrived."

The Thalmor's face went a sickly gray. "You're sure of this?"

"Yes. We're absolutely sure." Ravenlight held his gaze. "You and yours are _not_ my first choice of allies. You're closer to the last, if on the list at all. But in this case, I think we need as much of the known world banding together as possible."

A shadow shifted off to the side, very slightly_. _But it didn't come close, and none of them paid attention.

The Thalmor thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'm not in command-but the soldiers who are stationed here respect and will listen to me. I'll do what I can." He paused. "Be careful. My superior officer is the one who's been trying to get that ruin dug out, and he's...unhealthily obsessed. He's brought in a Mute."

"A Mute?" Ravenlight frowned, then inhaled sharply, her eyes widening and her hand suddenly going towards her torso. "I remember... Elenwen mentioned them, while I was...her captive. This isn't good."

"No, it's not." He studied them. "Especially if you're known to any of the High Council. I don't think they'd believe a gathering of vampire clans would be enough to suspend an execution order, and the Mutes only answer to them." He started to turn away. "I'll do what I can with the men loyal to me, even if all that is is keep the vampires out of town as much as possible. But I think you and anyone with you needs to leave, and quickly. Because, respected or not, I can't promise your safety."

He bowed slightly to them, then turned and headed back into town.

The moment the soldier was out of earshot, the shadow consolidated into a mer. "He is right. Honest, that one. Especially for a Thalmor. Rare trait indeed." The mer shifted a bit. "Clever. Spiders and mutes. Very clever. Someone with you knows about us. Wouldn't happen to be that young hot-tempered warrior, would it? Nasty temper that one."

"You have no idea." Ravenlight and Drizzt eyed him carefully. "Would you be an...Armiger, I believe they said?"

"That I am." The mer almost seemed to have no features, he was so plain. "What brings a strange dark elf, a Bosmer and a Boethiah worshiper to this espionage war zone?"

Ravenlight arched an eyebrow. "If you heard some of that conversation, I'm going to guess you heard the rest of it. Nasty vampire artifact in a ruin about a day's ride from here, creating _nauseatingly_ hideous creatures, and about a dozen vampire clans set to turn the area into a particularly horrible war zone."

"That would be the glazing on the sweetroll here." The mer sighed. "As if assassinations, tortures, and worse wasn't bad enough. Sure, let's throw a vampire turf war into it." He motioned back the way he came. "Let's go get your muscle. You got lucky I heard you first. He was all upset about something and damn near launched at your new Thalmor friend."

"I wondered if that's what I'd heard." Drizzt was the first to follow the strange mer into the bushes. "I suppose I should thank you for that, I don't know if I could have stopped him without seriously hurting him. And...my sister is right. In this kind of battle, we need all the allies we can get."

"Vampires warring against each other is about as bad as it can get unless we have a repeat Oblivion Crisis." The Armiger led them to where he had left Veleth's unconscious form. "Unfortunately, you chose two sides that are not exactly on friendly terms. Morrowind just finished soundly beating the Thalmor out of their borders. Very bloody. They had sent a particularly nasty Mute to Blacklight. It ended when our spymaster was killed and the Mute was pursued by his son to Kragenmoor. You don't want to know what happened there. I heard they are still trying to get the bloodstains out."

"Trust me, I know. I'm the Dragonborn, and if you know anything about what's going on in Skyrim, then you know that _I'm_ on the eternal front lines of the fight to get rid of them there. To the point of resurrecting the Blades and rehabilitating the Forsworn. I've been in their tender care before, and I'll carry those scars the rest of my life." Ravenlight growled. "_And_ I'm a Valenwood Bosmer. I lost kin-and the man I loved-in their purges. Trust me, what I told him was true. I have every reason to hate the Thalmor." She looked at the Armiger. "And the fact that I was horrified enough by what _happened_ to the Thalmor who went into that ruin to rope them into the fight should tell you right there how serious this is."

"I never said I don't believe you. We've seen what they did in Valenwood. Though my people are notoriously difficult to convince to get along with others..._that_ sort of thing is not something we'd condone. You sparing him and seeking me out...that says enough. However, our conflict with the Thalmor is a bit of a boon in this case." The mer strolled over to a nearby creek and filled a water skin. "When the Redoran Council was...eh, _convinced_ to fully commit to warring with the Thalmor, it was proposed that the Ebonheart Pact be brought back...with some changes, obviously. Black Marsh won't ever be our friend but Hammerfell might. That left High Rock a...contested zone. Your boon comes in the form of there being plenty of Armigers I can call upon in the immediate area"

He walked back over and upended the skin on Veleth's face, causing him to cough and sputter. "I can't promise we won't toss a Thalmor we've had particularly bad dealings with to the wolves, as it were...but you can count on mostly good behavior from us. Now, take this kid and go. The Mute here is not one of the patient ones."

"Right." Ravenlight hauled Veleth upright. "And we need to find Nevano quickly as well. That soldier specifically mentioned an execution order, which means I think he recognized me. And Nevano's pretty distinctive, too."

"Excuse me, did you say Nevano?" The Armiger looked alarmed

"Yes." Ravenlight sighed. "Don't tell me, they have more reason to hate him than any of us here combined."

The Armiger almost glared at Veleth. "Please...please don't tell me this one is a Veleth? Where the Nerevarine goes, there's usually a Veleth nearby..."

Drizzt and Ravenlight exchanged a long glance. "Fine," she said. "We won't tell you."

The Armiger ran his hand over his face with a groan. "Hurry."

"Wasn't he planning on heading to the tavern?" Drizzt's eyes flashed with alarm.

"Yes, drat it all." They exchanged a look. Ravenlight sighed. "I'll get Veleth out of town; you go see if you can get Nevano before this all blows up."

"Good luck. I'll send the word out. You might not see us but we'll be there." The Armiger paused. "Webspinner guard your footsteps." With that, the Armiger vanished as if he had drank an invisibility potion.

"Some good news, at least." Ravenlight sighed. "Hopefully it won't be the last. Once we get well out of civilization, I'm calling Odahviing and we're flying straight for this crazy girl they mentioned."

Veleth coughed. He could feel the bruise on his throat already forming. It would be fantastic looking and not in a way he'd like. "If he's not drinking..." He wheezed around an irritable throat. "He's not there."

Ravenlight touched his throat, her hand glowing gold for a moment. "Do you know where else to look? Just...to narrow it all down?"

Drizzt frowned. "I don't know if we have time to hunt the town. Can't your wayfinder pick out individuals?"

Veleth huffed. "Ugh. Thank you. Choke holds are never pleasant. If he's not in a tavern then something caught his interest and that is always trouble."

"Choke holds are not pleasant." Ravenlight pulled the small object out of her pack and tossed it to Drizzt, who snagged it out of the air almost without looking. "Neither is being blown forty feet on your back by a Shout, or having the hilt of a sword rammed into the pit of your stomach to stop you. And hopefully we can find Nevano without it coming to that."

She looked around as Drizzt opened the wayfinder, concentrated a moment, then headed off. "We've made contact with the Armigers, at least-that's who stopped you. And we've managed a...fairly tenuous cease-fire with the Thalmor that will probably end the moment the vampires are dealt with-but for the time being, they will be focused on the vampires."

"Yeah I figured. They know how to stop something quickly and silently." Veleth cracked his neck, watching Drizzt take off. "Glad he did. I saw all those Thalmor horses and a lack of guards and knew what that meant. That rage took over. I really, _really_ wanted to kill him. You did far better than me. If he said he'll get more Armigers, there could be a hundred of them there before we know it."

Ravenlight sighed. "There is a _reason_ I am not all that fond of Boethiah. You're probably the first one of her devotees I've encountered who didn't try to kill me solely on principle." She glanced over at him. "I won't deny it was helpful while we were dealing with the vampire, but it might be good if you could control the rage until it was needed."

Veleth chuckled. "You know, _she_ chased _me_. I am no devotee. I've never bowed to her and I never will. I personally think her usual devotees are a bunch of screaming morons. I won her favor by not dying. This whole rage thing is...new. I'm still working it out. I won't hold it against you if you do something drastic if I get too carried away. Normally it's easier to control but I'm feeling so out of my element it's taking advantage of me." He gave her a small smile. "Not all us daedra worshippers are lunatics. But if you ever get bored in Morrowind, get a debate going on the Tribunal versus the Reclamations. Then grab a drink and watch them scream for hours."

Ravenlight laughed. "One of the few clear memories I really have from my time wandering was an evening when a Dunmer started arguing in favor of the Daedra with a half-drunk priest of the Divines. There were Khajiit and Argonians in there, too. By the end of the evening, everyone was involved but me, and I was trying so hard not to laugh that I was almost choking on my drink." She considered. "I might not be the best one to ask about controlling rage: the part of me that loses control most spectacularly is my dragon soul, and she might be impulsive, but she's crafty as well. Drizzt, on the other hand, has a side that he calls the Hunter, and when he lets _that_ loose..." She shook her head.

"I'm surprised you didn't say you left before the bodies were carried out! Whole races were formed from such arguments. They simply don't give a shit that both are right." Veleth smiled. "When...I was confronted by Boethiah, her first words to me were 'you haven't learned a thing'. Threw me completely off. Rage can be a tool and a useful one, but it's not one many mortals can control. Or immortals, for that matter. It's something you find yourself. No one can teach that control. I don't think anyone will ever achieve perfect control. No one has that lifespan."

"It was a fairly odd tavern," Ravenlight mused. "Fighting wasn't permitted, for starters: anyone who tried was immediately thrown out. They must have needed some substantial repairs before if they had that rule. The argument certainly got heated, but by that time nobody was willing to escalate it into a fight." She shook her head. "I couldn't tell you where it was or what the name of it was; but that was a good evening. As for the rage...like I said, talk to Drizzt. He's had some practice, and might be able to give you some help."

She fell silent, looking into the town. "I hope neither he nor Nevano run into trouble. There's still the chance for plenty of that before we can get out of here."

"Sounds like the kind of tavern I _wish_ was all over Blacklight. Certainly make my job much easier. And I will talk to Drizzt. My head isn't so twisted backwards I won't ask for advice." Veleth crossed his arms. "And there probably is trouble. This is Nevano. He attracts more trouble than a cave full of trolls. The little shite can cause a commotion by standing quietly in an empty room. Though us running in will only make it worse..."

He looked around. "You know vampires better than I do. Werewolves are what I know, not the blood-suckers. Is there anything we can do to help protect the people here? I can feel more storms are coming."

"I don't know. We sent a message to Serana; it had to be kept vague to avoid sparking a panic, but we worded it to tell her that we needed help, and quickly. If Azura is willing to help a little more, I may be able to reach her dreams and tell her what we're facing: when that happens, the entire Dawnguard will come if Isran has to drag them by their belts." She smiled grimly. "And the Dawnguard has been tempered in _fire_. We destroyed the Volkihar clan together, vampires five thousand years old at least. I may have to ask Nerevar about the ones he mentioned, but somehow, I doubt most of them will be that old, or that strong."

She fell quiet. "But having that many clans here will not be good, any way we look at it. I wish I knew whether or not those Thalmor had any idea of how to hold off a vampire attack. I could give advice, but not if I suspected-which I do-that our ally won't have control for at least a week."

Veleth sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess garlic is merely an old tale and will only give them bad breath, yes?"

"It doesn't work against them. However, it _does_ cure the myriad diseases they carry-including sanguinus vampirus-and is an incredible asset just for that. Fire spells are helpful. They're vulnerable to fire, and most of them fear it, as well."

She considered, pursing her lips. "There's no way I can get the Greybeards involved, so I'm not going to try...but Paarthurnax is a reasonable old fellow. I'll talk with him about which dragons will be more likely to respect my Thu'um without having to more than taste it, and will be willing to assist _joore_ in a fight. A few Ancient or Revered dragons as backup will _definitely_ be helpful. And if the Companions found out I was getting into a fight of this magnitude without telling them, they would gripe, whine and complain about it for _months_."

Veleth laughed. "You have some fun probably aren't quite as exciting...well, our first stop is. You might not like us for it afterwards." Veleth grinned. "However, if we make a quick stop in Blacklight, I can get a few extras to come along."

"Odahviing should be willing to go that way first; he's intrigued by the rest of the world, pretend as he will that he's not. Actually, the one I really want to try to get in on this is Gelebor. The enchantments he knows are priceless, and if he can duplicate the power of Auri-El's Bow, in even the smallest way, it will be a big advantage."

She looked back toward the town. "Though we can't get any of this started before Drizzt and Nevano come back. Where the hell are they?!"

As interested as he was in her talk of dragons...he was worried about Nevano. Deeply worried. He frowned and followed her gaze to the town.


	4. A Hitch in the Plans

**A Hitch in the Plans**

Nevano opened the door just enough for him to slip in and eased up the stairs, stepping as lightly as he could to avoid making the wood squeak. He could just barely make out what they were saying...but it was strange. It sounded almost one-sided, as if they were answering something that wasn't there? But they were talking about the ruins. That much Nevano could tell. What concerned him was how they were talking about using the 'final solution' to get the relic out. He didn't need to know what that was to know it was nothing but bad news.

He heard enough. He needed to get back to the others. There was still plenty to do. He eased back down the stairs...and nearly crashed into a Thalmor turning the corner. They stared at each other wide-eyed for a full second before Nevano's brain kicked back in. He kicked the Thalmor the rest of the way down the stairs and bolted out, diving into the shadows between buildings to hide.

It was only a few heartbeats later that the rest of the Thalmor spilled out like an upset anthill. Most of them were upset and yelling...except one. Just looking at that one made Nevano's skin crawl. His robes were rather plain and practical, for a Thalmor, but what really set him apart was the leather mask that covered the lower half of his face. How could he talk if he...

Nevano's heart nearly stalled in his chest. That was a Mute. Oh Vaermina's rotted tits, they had problems. Actually, check that, _he_ had problems. The Thalmor Mutes were… determined. To a rather unreasonable degree. They also were more than a little nasty.

Nevano eased backwards, edging towards the corner. If he could get around the corner without them noticing, he could dart off to the woods and beg forgiveness from Ravenlight and Drizzt for not showing up. She'd get over it, he hoped. This was a bit...higher in priority.

One step...two steps...no one was even looking in this direction. Three steps...just slip around the corner…

Something grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off his feet. Nevano gagged and clawed at it, his heart slamming into his chest as his breath was cut off.

"He got him!" One of the Thalmor said. "I know they said he could always find the hidden ones but not how. Impressive. Wish we had him here months ago. Bring him inside. We need to have a chat with the Dunmer spy."

Nevano really, _really_ regretted not getting that drink first.

* * *

It was fortunate for the Thalmor official that Drizzt recognized him instantly-and probably the other way around. He neither drew his blade nor raised the alarm. "You again," he hissed. "Didn't I tell you it wasn't safe?"

"I'm looking for the last member of our party," Drizzt answered. "A Dunmer, with unusual fiery eyes." He gestured with the wayfinder. "This was leading me here."

The Thalmor squeezed his eyes shut briefly. "Damn it. The Mute just brought in a Dunmer with that exact description." He held up his hand when Drizzt gripped his blades. "Wait. I understand your instinct-but if you wipe out half the garrison going in after him, we won't have the strength to hold off even a tenth of those vampires if they come after the town. Let me think..."

He stood for a moment, staring into space. "I have a plan. Follow me-and by the gods, follow my lead _exactly_. We don't have any margin for error."

* * *

A few moments later, the Thalmor officer strode into their headquarters, closely followed by a subordinate. He went instantly to a harried-looking lower official, who glanced up at him irritably.

"And what do _you_ want-" Then his eyes widened and he sprang to his feet, bowing quickly. "General Gyrmallion! How can I help you?"

"The Dunmer spy we just took," he answered. "Where is he? I shouldn't have to repeat my orders that I be the first to speak with _any_ captured spy-especially after what happened with the last."

"At the end of the hall, to the left," the official answered. "In the secondary interrogation room you ordered after the first was damaged-"

"By the fire, I remember, hence my order." Gyrmallion nodded. "Is anyone in with him?"

"Not yet. The Mute is still waiting for Commander Neladil to be present for his interrogation."

"Good." The general smiled thinly. "Don't worry. I won't be long with him."

* * *

Nevano waited quietly, eyes closed though one involuntarily due to swelling. As usual, Thalmor hospitality was decidedly lacking though more than a few were busily looking for something to conceal the marks he had given in return. '_Way to feed the thought of prissy elves.'_ he thought as he idly twisted the small blade in his hands. They had thought they had gotten all of his weapons. So very wrong.

He frowned as voices came to the door. His grip on the little blade tightened. As the door rattled and opened, he threw it.

"Vith..." he muttered as it buried itself in the door by the Thalmor's head. "Lucky you, you hit my throwing eye first."

* * *

"Ah!" Gyrmallion jerked to the side, then blinked at him. "Well. You being loose will make this a little easier." He stepped in, his 'subordinate' following close behind him, and shut the door, sliding a key in and locking it. Instantly after, the 'subordinate' removed a ring, turning his face from dark gold to nearly jet black.

"Where did you say the window was?" Drizzt asked, pulling off the spare helmet that had helped him blend in behind Gyrmallion.

"North wall. Shuttered over, but not entirely boarded up. We can get it open without any noise-and no one's patrolling that side of the building." Gyrmallion looked at Nevano, holding up a hand to shield himself in case the stunned Dunmer tried another attack. "In case you can't tell, Dunmer, this is a rescue. Your friends told me about the real situation at the ruin, and I intend to assist against the vampires."

Nevano, leaned back in his chair, twisted his sore jaw a bit, a million thoughts racing through his mind. _Trust Veleth, if no one else_. His friends had never steered him wrong and the no-longer-youngest member of the family trusted their new companions. So...he'd trust Drizzt in this, if nothing that came out of that Thalmor's mouth.

"Weapons. You don't get to keep those...if they haven't bitten your people yet."

"Of course. Your friend already has them, I claimed I wanted to question you about them." The Thalmor went to the wall and moved his hand across it, before grunting a little with satisfaction and moving something. "There it is. After the last person we took burned two people as well as herself alive in the other interrogation room, it was decided there had to be a way to get out fast if a prisoner proved to have other such nasty tricks hidden. It'll help _you_ in this case as well." What had appeared to be a section of the wall swung back to reveal an open window. "There."

He turned to them. "You might not be able to leave unobserved: but there is a way to pass by unremarked. The narrow alley to the north is used by soldiers slipping off to the brothel. It's a breach of protocol, so they don't go openly-but anyone who sees two soldiers sneaking off that way will say nothing and think nothing about it. Take the helmet and the cloaks so you look as if you belong there."

Drizzt nodded. "Right."

Drow and Thalmor looked at each other for a moment, then Gyrmallion took a deep breath. "No one rescuing anyone from the Thalmor would leave the one questioning the prisoner alive, except by accident. You said you could make it look real, but not instantly fatal?"

Drizzt nodded, his eyes briefly flickering with sympathy. "Yes. You're sure you can hold on for long enough for healers to find you?"

"I'm wearing a healing amulet. It wouldn't do anything if you stabbed me in the heart or cut off my head, but if you miss anything fatal, it'll keep me alive." He shivered a little. "I almost can't believe I'm arguing for this...it'll have to be in the back, otherwise they'll wonder why I didn't raise an alarm. You'll have about five minutes to get to the woods and another ten before the area is flooded by people searching. Use them well."

"Considering you haven't gotten around to bringing the rat box, I can do the favor of not killing you today." Nevano said. "Middle of the back, 2 inches from the spine. You'll miss the lungs. Might get a liver or kidney but you'll live. As long as your healer isn't a complete s'wit, that is."

He was still wrestling with his feelings on this but whatever it was the Thalmor he encountered had been talking about, he had a feeling this one had no idea what it was. '_So,'_ he thought to himself, '_there is deception amongst themselves. That is interesting...'_

Drizzt, taking up his position behind the Thalmor and noiselessly drawing a scimitar, gave Nevano an unamused look. "Please assume I know how to deliver a wound without it being fatal," he said dryly. "Is there anything else we should know before we start this?"

"That's not why I said it." Nevano ignored his tone. "But I, too, am curious if there is anything else." Nevano held out yet another small blade. "Use this. They already have it figured out I'm going to have these. Best use this so they are looking for just me and not more."

A sound, not quite thunder, but very similar, ripped through the air outside. Drizzt briefly stiffened. "It doesn't matter if they know there was anyone else: Ravenlight just called Odahviing, and once he arrives, there's no way they'll catch us."

He put his hand on Gyrmallion's shoulder, positioned the scimitar carefully, then thrust. The Thalmor gasped, but didn't scream, and Drizzt guided him to the ground.

"Come on," he said, putting the helmet back on and tossing one of the cloaks to Nevano. "Let's go."

Nevano nodded and swept up his weapons. "Then let's be off."

* * *

Ravenlight was almost ready to do more than simply call Odahviing. Veleth had his hand on her shoulder to keep her from running back into the town-but her bow was out, and she was trembling with contained effort under his hand. Finally, just before she slipped away from Veleth, she heard a welcome trill from up ahead, and the nearly-inaudible sound of running feet.

"They're coming. Thank the Divines."

Veleth let her go once she no longer felt like a racehorse being held in. They would have gone back and forth for weeks if she had gone in. He raised an eyebrow at Nevano's bruises and Drizzt's rather dour expression. He found himself swiftly checking Drizzt's knuckles for bruising in case Nevano had been too free with his...less appealing side. There was some blood but nothing to suggest a fight. Something else had gotten him then.

"We need to get out of here, now," Drizzt said by way of greeting. "The Thalmor are going to be combing this area for an escaped prisoner and whoever broke him out in less than an hour."

Veleth slapped a hand to his face. "Nevano..._why?_"

"Oh I got something fun to tell you lot. But it can wait. Nothing can be done about it right now." Nevano was still turning everything over in his mind, trying to determine exactly what was happening. "This whole thing just gets more and more complicated."

Ravenlight raised her hand, the summoning spell ready in it. "Tell us on the move, then." She released the magic, calling Arvak out of the Soul Cairn. "We'll head north and east: that way we'll be traveling along Odahviing's current flight path, and he'll be able to find us more easily. How...diminished is the garrison here? Or should I ask?"

"The one we met earlier found me and helped," Drizzt answered shortly, blowing on his whistle to call Andahar. "I'll...explain later. When we're further from here."

"Oh, now I see what's going on." Nevano nodded. "Okay. Yeah. Problems just piled up even more. Gods, this is a level of complex not even Jorun could have come up with."

Veleth stiffened.

"Too much spy stuff to handle alone. Bull, you aren't going to like this but...we're going to have to ask..." Nevano started.

"Yes. We'll ask her." Veleth interrupted. "She'd be furious if we didn't anyway. The Card'vel first. Then we'll go to Blacklight. Quick though. Uliamu in Blacklight is more trouble than you."

Andahar appeared, shaking his mane. Drizzt gripped his reins and swung up into the saddle, as Ravenlight did the same with Arvak. "Mount up," she called. "I'll let you choose which one to ride with this time, but we're going to have to move fast again. We'll decide the route once we've met up with Odahviing."

Veleth did NOT want to get on that damn skeleton horse but, after exchanging a look with Nevano and getting a small understanding smile, he got up behind Ravenlight. Sometimes, being a damn bull meant getting on a damned dead horse with the smaller rider.

* * *

Nevano kept quiet a moment as they raced through the woods. "You made friends with that Thalmor?"

"Not quite friends," Ravenlight answered. "But I figured that, since I knew the Mistress in the ruin is playing them, they at least deserved to know what was really waiting for them in the ruin. He proved...remarkably reasonable."

Nevano groaned. "_B'vek_. Of course...well, don't get too comfortable with the idea of things going reasonable."

"I almost always expect they won't be." Ravenlight glanced over at Drizzt, noting the set expression. "_Uhiel_, what happened back there?"

Nevano sighed. "I really hope you are going to say you are pissed at me and not about that Thalmor because that'll be a lot easier on you."

"Deciding to sneak into the Thalmor headquarters was not a wise idea," Drizzt said shortly, "and more so while alone. But I don't like having to hurt allies, even tenuous ones, and even when there is no choice."

"That's assuming quite a bit there; so before we slip into the territory of why it's called _ass_uming, you need to hear my end of thing." Nevano said, though he had no ill will towards Drizzt. Really, he simply had noble intentions but those were going to sting. "First off, I didn't sneak in there. I was across the damn town. Which is where things get interesting. As to your ten-u-ous ally...it doesn't matter if you stabbed him in the heart or gave him a hangnail. If we see him again I'll be very shocked and very impressed because it means he survived the assassination attempt. Chances are...he's a dead man."

"Which probably means we've eliminated a possible line of defense for the town," Ravenlight said grimly, "because he was the one who'd learned what's going on at the ruin, and was therefore the one who'd be secretly rallying others in readiness in case the vampires attacked. He said he was respected by the soldiers, though, which is fairly rare among the Thalmor: if they genuinely do respect him, they probably won't let him be killed outright, and may be able to protect him from any retaliation." She considered. "Which might not _come_, actually, if the commander of the garrison is as obsessed with the ruin as he suggested." She looked over at the pair. "Aside from that. What did you do to end up a captive of the Thalmor in the first place?"

"Oh, we had nothing to do with any of this." Nevano said. "He might have respect but he pissed off someone in the wrong place. And no one here can save him. If he's in any way smart, he knows this."

"Why, Nevano?" Veleth asked.

"Because that Mute? He's not here to combat Armigers. That's no spy. That's a magically enhanced freak of nature." Nevano shifted, frowning. "He's an assassin. And not one you can escape from. That's how I was caught. I saw an open door in a house and heard Thalmor voices. Heard them talking about some sort of final resort to get the relic. I startled the hell out of a lookout and took off. Not the first time I've played this game and none of them saw me...until IT went from his back turned and 40 feet away, to behind me holding me by the throat."

"Now, tell me...why would a bunch of them be secretly discussing a "last resort" in a house across town from a general with a Mute who is trained far more in assassination?" Nevano asked. "They know exactly who I am. My head is worth far more to them detached from my body. That Mute knew instantly who I was. Instead, he took me back to their little gathering and stood there watching me and my new best friends get to know each other. Then they ordered the rat box and left. You are...kinda lucky they hit my left eye and threw off my aim. That place would be nothing but a pile of ash if they brought a rat in..."

"Final resort." Ravenlight frowned. "And to get the relic...I know they were sending Thalmor into the ruin and they weren't coming out. I wonder what the Mistress has been telling them."

She drew Arvak to a halt, looking up as a roar echoed across the sky. "That was faster than I thought; he must not have gone back to Skyrim after he dropped us off here." She rose in the saddle and shouted. "_Odahviing!_"

A few seconds later, a huge shadow swept over them, circled, and landed with a ground-shaking _thud_. The reddish dragon eyed them, before inclining his huge head to Ravenlight. "_Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin._ Your business in this place seems to have come to an abrupt end."

Veleth nearly tripped getting off the skeleton horse, his eyes glued to the dragon. This...was easily the most impressive creature he had ever seen in his life.

"Most of the others provinces didn't really take the threat of dragons returning as seriously." Nevano commented. "None of those that scoffed have ever seen anything like him. If they had...they'd be singing a much different tune. After they found a new pair of pants."

"And you didn't have to deal with Alduin," Ravenlight said dryly. She dismounted and walked up to the dragon. "_Drem yol lok, grah-zeymaziin._ Our business is far from completed-but we need allies to continue it. Many allies-and we need to cover ground swiftly." She gestured back to Nevano and Veleth. "I know you do not mind carrying me or my _zeymah_. Would you extend this to these two as well?"

"One world-ending, life-altering, super evil bad guy per jailed hero is the going rate." Nevano muttered. "Sucks anyone has to deal with the mind-boggling deluded..."

"Look at those claws. And the _scales_. And the _wings_..." Veleth was still wide-eyed. "_Wow_…

Nevano grinned watching Veleth gush. It wasn't often something turned him into an excited kid and it always brought back a rush of memories from a better time when it did happen.

"Hmmm." Odahviing regarded the pair for a few moments. "Is the situation...that dire?"

"Probably more so," Ravenlight answered. "We're dealing with nearly a dozen vampire clans, and a truly vile piece of armor that was enchanted by Molag Bal."

Odahviing growled for several seconds: possibly words, though if there were words in the sound, only Ravenlight could pick them out. "That one fouls everything he touches." He lowered his head to the ground. "All of you may mount: I will lend my aid however I may."

"Thank you." Nevano said. "Not an easy decision on your part and I greatly appreciate it."

Veleth blinked and came a bit back to himself. "Hopefully you won't dump us when I tell you where we are headed..."

Ravenlight climbed up behind Odahviing's head, slipping into the spot between his horns. Drizzt clambered up behind her, settling down easily. Nevano and Veleth found an equally comfortable spot further back on his neck. Odahviing braced himself for a second, then launched himself into the air with the swiftness of a ballista bolt.

Nevano screwed his eyes shut and thunked his head onto Veleth's back, not comfortable in the slightest. By stark contrast, Veleth was near giddy at the excitement of actually flying.

* * *

"So, _Dovahkiin_," Odahviing called, "where is our destination? Where shall we gather our allies?"

Ravenlight looked over her shoulder and called back to the others. "Where to first? Morrowind?"

Veleth nodded. "Get the ones farthest away first. That way we should get everyone together at the same time. These especially are far. Vvardenfell, in the Ashlands. Just north of Red Mountain. Easy to find...there will be a massive burned out crater."

"Hm. Interesting." Odahviing wheeled slightly, turning to take advantage of a good wind. "The Ashlands is one place I have never seen. Perhaps this will be a worthwhile trip." His wings cracked in the wind; and beneath them, the ground blurred by. "Let us see if your allies will be willing to gather, then."

"Just watch out for the ash. Red Mountain tends to be angry these days." Veleth said. "I'd advise you two to get something to cover your face. If there's an ash storm raging, I don't want you to catch red lung or something equally nasty. Hard to breath in that." Veleth grinned at the burst of speed. "They'll gather if Nevano calls. Vvardenfell is...interesting. Two hundred years ago I'd probably call it beautiful but it's got a sadness that surrounds it now. It's a bit surreal."

"I've seen places like that," Ravenlight mused. "Admittedly, the Forgotten Vale hasn't been destroyed completely, and there's still a beauty to it, but..."

"Can feel the echoes of those that were there once?" Veleth asked.

"Literally," Drizzt answered. "There was once a temple to Auri-El in the Vale, before Falmer destroyed the place. The ghosts of the attendants still keep it."

"They do that when they feel strongly about someone or someplace." Veleth said. "Most don't like the mortal plane. Complain it's cold here. Some can't or won't let go."

"I've seen ghosts before. Some trapped by necromancers or just wandering around where they'd once lived...or waiting for revenge on the one who killed them." Ravenlight said. "The ones in the Vale were...melancholy, but not bitter. The only ones I've ever seen that seemed to..._want_ to remain where they were."

"I hated the family rituals of summoning when I was a kid. Fortunately, we only did it once." Veleth tilted his head back and forth. "I'm more ok with it now since..." he trailed off. "So what was this Forgotten Vale?"

"A hidden place," Ravenlight answered. "It's impossible to reach if you're not on dragonback, or are willing to brave a Falmer-infested cave. The last true Snow Elf still lives there: Gelebor." She paused. "Serana goes there sometimes; she can get through the Falmer with much less difficulty than anyone else I know. I think it's a place of real peace for her, much the way the peak of the Throat of the World is for me."

She glanced to the side absently, then stiffened. "Odahviing, is that another _dovah_, off to the west?"

The huge head turned slightly. "_Geh_. I do not know him: if he draws any nearer, I will land and let you all off, then find his business."

Nevano muttered a small curse that was lost on the wind, gripping Veleth's armor tighter

Ravenlight glanced back at Drizzt. "Is there any way I could borrow Taulmaril until we know what's about to happen? Because I think it might be a good idea for him to know that the _Dovahkiin_ is here: it doesn't _always_ make them rethink a fight, but it's worth a try."

Drizzt nodded. "If we have to land, I'll switch bows with you. Hopefully..."

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Ravenlight let out a little growl as the other dragon did indeed begin drifting closer-then hissed as she saw its shape. "Oh, not good. That's a Revered."

Odahviing said something that was possibly a curse and dove for the ground so quickly that both Nevano and Veleth let out startled cries. Drizzt simply squeezed his eyes shut, gripping the dragon's neck tightly with his legs; Ravenlight did not react, other than to turn so that she could keep her eyes on the new dragon the entire time.

Nevano had no clue what in all the levels of Oblivion a Revered was. He honestly didn't care. What he _did_ care about was 1. Ravenlight was fixated on it like a kagouti about to charge and 2. their current dragon with the name he wasn't about to try to pronounce had cursed. A dragon had cursed. And was bolting for the ground. Way too fast.

The next time Veleth got a wild hair up his ass about something Boethiah wanted him to do, he was going to ask Azura to kindly tell Boethiah to shove her battleaxe where the sun didn't shine.

They landed with a bone-jarring _thud_, not quite crash-landing, but hard enough to tear up several yards of turf. "Off, quickly," Ravenlight said tersely. "Drizzt, Taulmaril, now, and then find some place sheltered. I'm going to try talking first, but if this turns into a fight, it's going to be _nasty_."

_THAT_ Nevano was happy to do and quickly...though not before getting a quick look at their dragon. The scales had felt hard as metal but...it seemed to be thinner at the armpit. He noted that and dashed to a better vantage point, Veleth following. He carefully watched Ravenlight, ready to plug his ears before he was useless with migraine

Odahviing waited just long enough for Ravenlight to swap out Auri-El's Bow-powerful as it was against vampires, it was almost useless against dragons, especially one as powerful as a Revered-for Drizzt's far more powerful Taulmaril before launching himself into the sky again. They reached the height of the Revered almost instantly, and none too soon: he'd definitely seen them. The two dragons wheeled around each other, the creepy eyes of the feathered dragon examining Odahviing.

The Revered spoke, its voice rumbling like distant thunder. It spoke _Dovahzul_-but Ravenlight understood it. "What is this, then? Have you so lost your pride, that you carry a mortal as though you were some common beast?"

She responded, leaning forward slightly and touching Odahviing on the top of his skull. The Dov flashed to the front of her mind, and their voices rang out together. "_Nii joore los Zu'u. Zu'u los Dovahjud: Dovahkiin!"_

Veleth watched them. "Do you understand them, Drizzt?

"Not perfectly. I only know a few words here and there." Drizzt was watching the circling creatures with terrifying intensity. "But I think she just told him she was the Dragon Queen."

The Revered cracked its wings and tried to gain altitude and circle above them. Odahviing intercepted it, bellowing. "She speaks truth, and you would be wise to heed it! It was her Thu'um that brought Alduin himself low."

"Always a skeptic in every crowd." Nevano muttered. "I just hope this one listens a bit better than the last two times there was major clean-up after world ending events." He shifted. "Really, do you have many world ending events where you are from? Because we've had three in the past two hundred some odd years. I think this plane is cursed or something."

"I've lived through three events that might have had world-ending consequences and probably assisted in stopping four," Drizzt said, straight-faced. "Admittedly, some of them might not have destroyed the entire world, but they would have devastated the entire region if they hadn't been dealt with. And this last one involved more demons than I _ever_ want to see again. Ravenlight compared it to the Oblivion Crisis several times, and had to be physically held back from tearing one of the people responsible for it apart with her bare hands."

"Ugh, more damn demons." Nevano made a face. "So it's just every other plane shitting on the mortal ones then. Rude."

"Fairly common, from what I've heard." Drizzt looked up, then relaxed. "They're landing, and it looks like the Revered believed them."

"Oh good. So far, out of all the things that have poured in here...the dragons have thus far been the most reasonable." Nevano said. "Let that be a lesson to the rest of the all the planes out there..."

The Revered dragon landed first, and Odahviing after. Ravenlight waited until they were both settled to dismount and walked toward the Revered. "Will you follow my command, then, if I choose to give one?"

It seemed reluctant, but bowed its head. "_Geh_. I am Mirdovek: Paarthurnax called me long ago. I acknowledge your Thu'um, _Dovahjud_."

"Good. Because I need your service." Ravenlight pointed. "In the hills of High Rock, vampires are gathering to battle over an artifact of Molag Bal. I do not expect you to fight them on your own; we go to gather allies. But if you would make your territory in that land, and deal with any stray vampires you might come across, it will be good for the entire land."

He bowed his head. "A reasonable command. How many vampires?"

"Nearly a dozen clans. They should not be difficult to find: that many vampires will send up a stench like nothing else."

He nodded. "It is as you say. I will go!"

"She is strong." Veleth said. "She has a rather strong admirer."

"Better than an enemy." Drizzt relaxed. "Revered dragons do _not_ tend to react to her well. They're typically more arrogant, and less willing to bend. Some of them were even willing to rebel, at least a little, against Alduin himself, though never to the point where he felt they needed to be dealt with. We're lucky that one had been a follower of Paarthurnax, or this probably would not have ended well."

"Very good. We don't have time to waste." Veleth said.

"No, we don't." Ravenlight beckoned them over. "Though having Mirdovek will give us a little more time. Revered dragons are _insanely_ powerful. I suspect he could take on an entire clan by himself. Any stragglers he might catch will not return."

"Mount," Odahviing ordered. "We have many miles to go yet, and I will not tire until sunset."

Veleth dragged Nevano up behind him, not letting him drag his feet. He didn't want to get to the Ashlands after sundown. That was more than a little dangerous and more than a little easy to get totally lost. That and he didn't want to give the Card'vel the satisfaction of sneaking up on them. Uliamu might find it hilarious to send them running in a panic like last time...

* * *

**(****And the party is getting started! As always, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you think: what jarred, what clicked.)**


	5. Winning Over the Card'Vel

**Winning over the Card'vel**

The rest of the flight was uneventful, and surprisingly quick. Despite occasionally having to be pointed in the right direction, Odahviing flew strongly, using every available wind or thermal to speed them along. He did give them one bad moment as they flew over the ocean: he spotted the shadow of a large fish just beneath the surface of the water, and automatically swooped down, using his jaws to snatch it up and swallow it in one bite.

Ravenlight found the motion exhilarating, the Dov exulting in the feel of speed and power. Drizzt's arms clamped tightly around her as they swooped: Veleth let out a startled yell, while Nevano's scream was almost too high-pitched to be actually heard.

Veleth was glad for the Ebony Mail's thick plate between him and Nevano, especially after the little dive above open water. Nevano was holding on to him so tight that he wouldn't have been able to breathe otherwise. He was pretty sure there were fingerprints indented in his armor.

* * *

As they crossed over into Morrowind, NVeleth leaned over just a little, looking down across the land. He was able to pick out the familiar landmarks of home. The Veloth mountains, Blacklight's port… and most iconic, the ever present plume of smoke from Red Mountain. As they got closer, he twitched and sucked in a quick breath of pain as his left side sent a sharp bolt of pain through him. Up ahead, he could make out a red haze over Vvardenfell. "Vith!"

"What's that?" Ravenlight called back.

"That..." Veleth grumbled, rubbing at his scar. "Is an ash storm."

"We can always go to Blacklight first." Nevano spoke up. "Try Vvardenfell tomorrow. It's getting to evening and ash storms at night are deadly."

"No. I can handle this." Ravenlight leaned forward. "Nevano, plug your ears. Odahviing, get us close."

Nevano didn't even hesitate. He was NOT going to underestimate her shouting ever again

Odahviing swooped down until the screaming wind was tugging at them, and they could start feeling the gritty particles in the air. Then he stopped and hovered. Ravenlight scooted up a little, bracing herself until she was leaning over his head. Then she inhaled and Shouted.

"_LOK VAH KOOR!_"

The winds instantly stilled.

"That is a handy little...what the hell?" Veleth leaned over. "Did you all see that? Was that a trick of the ash or did I just see a bunch of people run for cover?"

"No, I saw them too." Drizzt frowned. "It might just be that we're up here on a dragon, though. Should we find out?"

"Ashlanders wouldn't have bolted like that and we're too far inland for any rebuilding efforts..." Veleth frowned. "I don't..."

An inhuman shriek split the air, making everyone jump.

"Oh, _vith!_ Get out of here NOW!" Nevano yelled. "Those are vampires! They can feed from a distance!"

Odahviing's wings cracked like the force of a thunderstorm, and they shot up and forward again. Ravenlight was panting. "Odahviing, do you know any Shouts that could scatter them? I...kind of know one, but I don't _know_ it well enough to ever use it."

She had heard the Shout Alduin had used to call down fire from the sky often enough: but after what had happened with healing Soul Tear's effect on Nevano, she was _not_ going to ever use a Shout she didn't know again.

"_Julekil om ot mahketif kagouti_!" Nevano cursed. "I can't believe I forgot about the clans here! Quarra! I'll bet there's Berne around here we can't see!"

"_Geh!_" Odahviing wheeled around again, snapped to a halt, and roared. The words were not clear enough to make them out: but the winds suddenly whipped up again, then spun into a howling column that reached from earth to the sky. The dragon wheeled around it, then broke its hold and flew off.

"We're still a ways away from the Card'vel." Veleth said. "There's a chance they haven't gotten there yet..."

"No. Lucky for us, Quarra and Berne _hate_ each other." Nevano said. "They'll use this time to try to destroy each other. The problem is there is a third clan but I have no idea who they are or where they are. These two were the loud ones."

"_The Bow,_" a soft but clear voice said suddenly in Drizzt's ear. "_You have the ultimate weapon to use against their kind, and the light of Auri-El still touches the earth. Make use of the Bow._"

Drizzt grabbed the bow he was still wearing on his back and pulled it loose, taking one of the sun-blessed arrows from the quiver on Ravenlight's back. He set it to the string, aimed at the sky, pulled back, and released.

Below, several ancient vampires recognized the sudden deafening twang of a much hated bow. Desperate, they bolted, risking exposure for a fate far worse.

The arrow crested, and-

The world was suddenly filled with a brilliant, blinding burst of pure, golden air filled with agonized shrieks and dying cries of dozens of vampires

Odahviing blinked and shook his head, coming within an inch of unseating Ravenlight. "That was...impressive."

"Don't do that while I'm still riding you, please," she said tersely.

Nevano started laughing and couldn't stop. Even when everyone, including the dragon, turned to give him a look, he had a hard time stopping. "I'm sorry but that was bloody amazing." He gasped, swiping at the tears of laughter. "I _know_ there were Ashlanders watching. If there was _any_ way we could convince them to not only help outlanders, but non-Dunmer outlanders, riding in on a dragon while calling the damn sun down on warring old-as-dirt vampires will definitely do the trick!"

* * *

There were, indeed, quite a few people gathered to stare as Odahviing landed a few moments later, his wings stirring up clouds of fine ash. His riders dismounted with more than one gasp of relief: riding all day was painful, even when not riding on something several inches wider than most horses. Odahviing looked around. "I will be nearby should you need, _Dovahkiin_, but I need rest and food. I will go to the hills near here to find them." He rose up slightly. "Call me again when you require me."

"Not Card'vel." Veleth said to Ravenlight and Drizzt as Nevano went over to them. "Ald'vel. A bit more...typical, I guess you could say. Looks like a group of hunters. It's spring so...not too far from their spring hunting grounds. In the winter they are way further south."

"Will we be able to get a place to rest from them?" Ravenlight asked. "I didn't dare show it in front of either Odahviing _or_ Mirdovek, but dealing with Mirdovek was...stressful, to say the least."

"If they are hunters they are constantly on the move. They will sleep on the ground for short periods before running again. Like a pack of wolves moving territories." Veleth said. "Hang in there, we are in Card'vel territory. Undoubtedly they heard this. They'll show."

"Good." She breathed deeply. "Because I've got about five more minutes before one of you has to carry me."

The Ashlanders disappeared as if they simply had turned into the landscape and Nevano jogged back over. "Well, that'll convince the toughest audience out here."

"That we are or aren't worth helping?" She was already starting to sway back and forth.

"Very much are." Nevano said. "Ashlanders are suspicious by nature. Sometimes it takes a little convincing but, as I said, dragons and sunbeams tend to leave an impression."

Veleth shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Their ashkhan is a good one but the gulakhan..."

"After what happened with Zula, he quit arguing so much." Nevano looked away.

"Yeah...yeah..." Veleth sounded distinctly more jittery

"Drizzt?"

He glanced over at her. "What is it, _essiel?_"

"I don't have five minutes."

Dismounting Odahviing had left them over twenty feet apart. He reached her side in half a second, just as she toppled forward.

"_Vith!_" Veleth's eyes went wide, fear about sparking from his eyes.

"Well, timing is perfect here..." Nevano sighed. "ULIAMU! Quit putting Bull under a fear spell! We need your help!"

There was some rather dark giggling from somewhere around them, it was hard to tell where. "Talking with dragons like talking with gods, yes?" came a voice. "Poor little Dragon Mother."

Drizzt lifted her up, grunting a little as he did. Ravenlight was fairly small: but her armor added nearly twenty pounds, and deadweight made her heavier. "Do you have somewhere I could take her so she can rest?"

Veleth growled as the last of the fear spell faded. He _hated_ when she did that. "Uliamu...If you help us out..." He deflated a bit. "I'll let you pierce my other ear"

Instantly a hole opened up in a rocky hill next to him and the wildest-looking woman anyone had ever seen ran out. She wore next to nothing, only strips of strange leather that were decorated with bits of bone and small stones. Her skin was covered with a black paint that looked as if it were made with ash, with white paint striping that made her frame seem skeletal.

She ran straight to Veleth and leaped up, giving him a massive hug. "You aren't wearing the other ones! I'll have to put more on you! This way. Come come. Bring the Dragon Mother and the Drow. Don't fear our spiders! Kaid-Anit said don't fear them. Our spiders aren't the same as the ones you fear! Different ones. Very different. Mephala doesn't expect sacrifices from us. We heed a different calling! Come!"

Drizzt's eyebrows went up, but he said nothing. He would wonder how they knew, and worry about what it meant, later. After he'd had some food, and both he and Ravenlight had plenty of rest.

"I present to you...crazy girl." Veleth sighed as he was dragged into the hole.

"Somehow I guessed," Drizzt muttered as he followed.

* * *

They twisted and wound through a series of tunnels until they came into a large cavern. Uliamu ushered them to a corner where a small fire kept the cool stone warm and blankets were tucked into small cubbies. "I'll get you food!"

Veleth waited until she was out of earshot. "Whatever you do, do _not_ eat anything meat-based they give you. They will think it's hilarious, but it's not always from something that was previously on four legs"

"Human flesh or insects?" Drizzt glanced at them worriedly as he set Ravenlight down. She shifted a little and mumbled in her sleep. "One I don't mind. The other..."

Nevano groaned as he flopped by the fire. "One of the Nerevarine prophecies says 'eats their sin and is reborn'. The Card'vel took it literally. While you aren't in any danger, they will eat a stranger who wanders into the tombs they protect. To...redeem them from their sin."

"Ah. I will refrain from meat then." Drizzt grimaced. "And make a point of avoiding any tombs for the time we're here."

"Only one of theirs is unmarked but you'll figure out pretty quick you are in a tomb." Nevano grinned wickedly. "Right, Bull?" Veleth threw a rock at him. "It's an old tomb of a tribe called the Urshilaku. They are now known as the Ald'vel. But the first thing you see when you go in is a couple of mummified bodies standing guard. Once symbolic, I think the Card'vel have it that they see through the...err...eye holes of the mummies?"

"I'm going to assume you both know this from experience," Drizzt said dryly. Ravenlight let out another sound, this one closer to a growl, and he rose, lowering his voice. "If we're going to continue this conversation, let's move it to a different place. She can get...cranky if she's wakened when she's this exhausted, and at the moment, I don't think you want to deal with her in that kind of temper."

"No, no I do not." Nevano pointed to the cubby. "Surprisingly comfortable and blocks out sound in there."

Drizzt moved her into a cubby and wrapped her up in a blanket. Then he joined the others by the fire, sinking down with a sigh. He was starting to ache from all the riding they'd been doing, he was bone-tired himself, and he was half-starved. If it hadn't been for that last, he'd have probably just laid down beside her and passed out himself; but he wanted some food first.

Uliamu slipped in and joined them with very little sound, her arms full. She chattered in a language that only Nevano seemed to fully understand while setting out a few loaves of bread, a jar of what looked like clear jelly, a few enormous eggs she simply tossed onto the fire, a pot of strong-smelling tea and, brought by a girl who giggled upon seeing Veleth, causing his ears to turn bright red, a pot of stew that Nevano glared at until Uliamu assured him had no meat. She did remember their strange aversion to meat after all! And, strangely, oranges. Veleth and Nevano stared at the oranges. They had no idea how oranges got here. Neither were they going to ask

Drizzt ate, and gladly. But while Nevano spoke with Uliamu, and Veleth added a few comments himself, he said nothing. This wasn't unfriendliness: it was exhaustion. The events of the day-had this all really just been one day?!-were crowding in on him, and everything around him was starting to blur together. Even the tea, which tasted strong enough to be used as a resurrection potion, failed to do more than cut through the worst of the gathering fog.

Once he'd eaten enough to still the thunderstorm coming from his belly, he excused himself and went over to the same cubby as Ravenlight, where he collapsed behind her: asleep before he'd actually laid down.

* * *

The next morning, no one, not even Veleth, was keen on waking up. Nevano was curled into a ball like a cat next to the fire, occasionally muttering in the same language he and Uliamu had conversed in the night before. Veleth was across the fire, sprawled out. He had taken the time to take his heavy armor off. The only noise in the cavern, other than Nevano's soft mutterings, were the occasional giggles from painted Card'vel girls who were busily ogling Veleth's bare torso.

Ravenlight's eyes briefly fluttered open. She idly noticed a few things-namely, that Drizzt was close to her, the floor was fairly hard, and she was still smelling food-before turning over and snuggling a little closer to him, her eyes closing again. Then she frowned, her eyes not opening. Had she or had she not actually seen a strange, half-naked woman crouched nearby, and watching them with far too much interest?

Uliamu shooed the girls away. Their favorite handsome visitor had made it clear that wasn't his intention in his visit this time and there was no need to fully spook them. She settled nearby, poking at the fire. To keep herself occupied, she began to sing.

_"Luhn-silvar, hortator,_

_Azura'm gah'amer,_

_Panthi-seht, sharmat-dra,_

_ouabihn biridar,_

_Osuhn almese sut ohm_

_yalif sul devahr,_

_Nerevar."_

Nevano didn't uncurl or open his eyes. "Stop stroking Nerevar's ego."

Ravenlight heard it, and didn't hear it. The tune was familiar, flickering in and out of her half-dreaming state; though it never seemed to add the rest of it. Idly, not knowing she was doing it, she began to hum along, continuing when she finished with the part of the tune she knew best.

"_Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, naal ok ziin los vahriin. Wah dein vokul mahfaeraak ahst vaal. Ahrk fin norok paal graan fod nust hon zindro zaan; Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal._"

"See? Dragon Mother." Uliamu giggled, wiggling her fingers excitedly.

Garnet eyes opened, and she rolled just enough to see Uliamu. "Is there a point to this, or do you merely take pleasure in interrupting the sleep of those who badly need it?" Her voice was resonant, world-weary, and more than a little annoyed.

"No time for heroes to rest, no." Uliamu said. "Every second, the darkness grows. More than just vampires answer the call, oh yes. You can smell it, Dragon Queen. Sleep is needed, yes, but too much now and you might sleep forever."

"So you answer the call?" Ravenlight sat up, not quite as lithely as usual. "If so, we travel again today: the call goes out across Morrowind, and then to Skyrim, where I will call upon the _Dov_ as well as others to bring aid."

"It's bad when the three Dark Ladies worry and not just want to see what happens." Uliamu nodded. "They sent two champions. One of each. Now I'm called to go. Now you'll have three! My brother wishes to see you, before we go." Uliamu stood up. "I'll get my bones. I...That is a dark, dark thing to unbind and bind again. This is a dark thing. Bad, bad dark thing. Too many black souls. So. Many. Souls." She held her head a moment. "I will bring my mother's bones. White bones against black souls." She hurried out.

Ravenlight frowned a little and leaned back. The Bosmer slept yet: she was tired, almost more so than she'd been after the journey through Labyrinthian. The Dov would let her sleep. But this was important, and she would have to remember it. Remember it closely.

_Three Black Ladies_, she mused. _Azura, Boethiah and Mephala, perhaps?_ She glanced over at Drizzt with a little smile. _So then. Where do we two fit in this puzzle of Daedra's champions, my brother?_

"You will have to pardon my sister's energy." A deep voice echoed in the cavern. Nevano, who had been starting to stir, slumped back into full sleep like a rock had hit him in the head as a male Card'vel settled down by the fire. He wasn't wearing the black paint but he had the white stripes. A large spider pendant, the legs curling around his neck, dominated a good portion of his chest. "When we hear the will of our Dark Ancestors...she gets excited. I have told her you have some time but I feel you will get more out of your next stop."

"Hm. Good." Ravenlight considered. "It might be necessary to part forces and cover more ground: Nevano will be better to raise the folk of Morrowind, whereas my brother and I can call the people of Skyrim-and the _dov_." She gazed at him. "Unless you have some insight that suggests we must remain together? If so, I shall listen."

"Mephala saw fit to tell me of you and your companion. I saw the dark shadows rising from the province of man...Molag Bal's doing. Before I could only hear the Dark Ladies, I remember hearing his bellowing. He was never pleasant. Though he occasionally allied with Azura, it was only in times where she could use him to enhance her plans. She considers him vulgar otherwise. This...is beyond vulgar. This has alarmed most other daedra lords." He stayed quiet a few moments. "When the Nerevarine came with you, the Dragon Mother, I knew it was time. We have been preparing and have already been in contact with the other tribes. They, too, have felt something wrong. Seeing the Quarra and the Berne rise up is the only warning we will get.

"As to traveling together or apart..." He looked right at her, his eyes boring right through to the _dov_ within. "You know perfectly well what is happening. When the Daedra Lords allow their champions to ally with those beloved by the Aedra and the Aedra allow it? Molag Bal stalks you. He does not want you to succeed. You need to stay close to one another or else he will pick you off. The bow of Auri-El, Trueflame and the Ebony Mail are powerful but worthless alone against what is coming. I will bring Uliamu where she needs to be, along with my people. Our magic will be a great boon alongside the Ald'vel hunters."

"Understood." Ravenlight inclined her head. Then she considered, her hand rising to a blue gemstone pendant hanging around her neck. "What do your Black Ladies say about calling aid from my brother's world? There is one there I will not bring here for any reason-perhaps he is a cure, but he would be worse than the disease in short order-but my brother's wife is powerful, and he has other allies that might well help turn the tide."

The mer blinked his unnervingly intense eyes slowly. "We have a tea we make from trama root and cannis. It is very strong. We give it to those who cannot stay awake after getting hit in the head or who have eaten something rotten. It gives a burst of energy, one last good chance to get to the point of healing...but it _is_ a poison. While it helps, one must have the energy after to purge it. If they do not..." He motioned with his hand. "You must be the one to determine if, after this cure is delivered, if there is enough energy left to purge the toxins before you drown in your own bile."

She shook her head. "I will _not_ bring him. He cares too little for others: in all the time I have known him, I have seen him regard only a few as more than pawns in his own game. But it is not him I speak of. My brother's wife is a powerful mage, well-connected with Kynareth's equal; and his father is a powerful warrior, only recently brought back from the land of the dead, and still wondering and wandering to find his way. A clear enemy in a new land may be good for him."

He was silent a long while, staring into the small flames. "There are places where the veil between the realms is thin. Necrom is such a place, as is Mournhold. However, such places are thick with souls with both benevolent and malevolent intentions on both sides waiting to go through. If you wish to do so soon, I know of a place you will be going to that is safe and guarded by a powerful soul. If you wish to wait, I can beseech Mephala to allow me to weaken the veil enough for you to call them through."

She held up the pendent. "This works as a passageway between worlds: a safe gateway. If we did not have them..." She turned and looked down at Drizzt, her draconic eyes briefly soft and misting. "We would have said a final farewell many years ago. As to where...I intend to travel to the _Monahven_ once our business here is completed, to speak with the _dovah_ Paarthurnax, and to call the _dov_ who accept my rule. In that place, I deem, it would be good to call them."

She leaned back a little. "But I do not know: would it be good to bring them? I do not clearly hear the voices that might otherwise guide me, Daedra _or_ Aedra: it is a protection, I think, for otherwise, I might have become like Miraak. But in a time like this, when I do not know the best course...it is difficult."

"Under the best of times, the Daedra Lords speak vaguely. I cannot speak for Aedra." He said. "Speaking for myself and not as a conduit...if you have powerful friends, bring them. When I listen to Mephala, I see...Molag Bal and Vivec. I hear the sermons that were spoken… fourteen, I think. What of that dark aspect of our culture do you know of?"

Ravenlight blinked and shook her head, the garnet clearing to amber. "Not much. As a child and a young woman, I gave little thought to what lay outside the borders of Valenwood. When I left the wood, after the man I loved was killed, I was half-mad with grief, and driven by a wanderlust that was easily the other half of that madness. I wandered most of Tamriel, and I reached Morrowind; but the Red Mountain was still erupting, and Vvardenfell was impossible to reach. I did not stay there as long as I did other places. And I did not seek to learn anything about the places where I traveled, other than the lay of the land, and how to pass by safely."

"Understandable, given all circumstances." The strangely intense man said, nodding. "Given the light of your mind set, it was probably best you did not linger. So much destruction and death...an event that had been in the making for thousands of years. Our own undoing. Still, it could have been prevented, but Vivec held that one last thing over us. Until he dropped it. Now, we are still feeling the effects of the False God's influence. Vivec and Molag Bal were... joined together for a time. From their union, demon children were created. Sermons say Vivec slew them but I do not trust Tribunal texts."

He looked up at her again, his ears twitching a bit. "Molag Bal wields beings as tools and weapons. From what I hear and know...a child of his may be hunting you. That would be very bad."

Ravenlight stilled. "It would indeed be. But better forewarned than ignorant and unknowing. It is not a comfortable thing to find; but I thank you for warning me of this."

"You are very strong, Dragon Mother." He said, stirring the fire more. "Strong enough to keep your group together. Look after these three. One wishes so deeply for the good of others he risks himself. Another has yet to fully find his place in the world. The last...is merely a bag of shattered pieces. Maybe you will be able to put a few together again."

He stood up. "I am grateful you allowed me to speak with you. Though I hear the whispers, I like to get a measure of a person myself. I see now why the Reclamations are impressed. Hopefully the Aedra will reveal their true reasons for allowing you to mingle with us daedra worshippers other than to destroy darkness."

Ravenlight looked over at Nevano and Veleth, before glancing back at Drizzt. And perhaps the man could see the image that rose in her mind: the great red-and-white dragon gathering them like a hen pulling her chicks together, then sheltering them beneath her wings. "I will do so."

He smiled. "I cannot see. I can hear the gods and they see. Heroes and champions make for fine stories but hardly anyone thanks them for saving the world. No one cares for them. Perhaps it takes another champion to care for one."

Ravenlight nodded slowly. Then she sighed and rose. "I would be glad to continue this conversation; but I was so exhausted last night that I didn't get to eat. Could you show me where I could find breakfast? I don't want to faint from hunger halfway through the flight."

He smiled. "Follow me. These three will continue to sleep until I tell them to wake. I think I can show you something you will appreciate more than them."

* * *

He led her through several more twisting tunnels, many branching off to more dark halls and caverns, going deeper down. Finally they reached a cavern that was near pitch dark but filled with hot humidity. The man reached down and ran his hand along the floor, but instead of the expected sound of rock, water parted beneath his fingertips, lighting up to illuminate the whole cave.

"This pool is warmed by underground lava flows. It always stays warm." He gestured towards it. "I'll have a girl bring you something to eat. I understand Bosmer have preferences different to our own but I'm also well aware that many are...suspicious of our fares. Is there anything specific I can get for you?"

"I have not followed the Green Pact for many years," Ravenlight answered. She knelt down and pulled off her gauntlets, trailing her fingers through the water. "Bread, fruit, eggs, or vegetables will all suffice. I half-heard advice not to take meat even while I was asleep last night, and will heed it." She glanced up at him with a little smile. "Not all Bosmer would flinch from it; but I have never eaten any enemy but a dragon, tempted though I have been at times."

He smiled. "I assure you it's not our everyday fare. Circumstances must be met. Though Uliamu loves to tell Nevano he is eating rat. He tends to avoid eating with us. I shall have those brought down. When you are ready, simply say so. We will guide you back. Your boys will be ready then."

She nodded and smiled. "My thanks."

The man left and, true to his word, a mostly naked painted stripling of a girl came in a few minutes later. She chattered a bit in a language similar to, but not Dunmeri, though judging by her tone, it was complimenting Ravenlight's armor. Judging by how she traced stripes on it in places similar to her own paint markings, she thought it needed more decoration. She laid out a heaping plate of food, a drying cloth and a what looked like a worn gray rock and left. The rock was a bit of a mystery until it started bubbling when it came into contact with the water on the ground.

"Ah." Ravenlight smiled and picked up the rock. "I will pass on my thanks once I see him again."

The soapy rock proved to be the only thing that could penetrate the thick ash that had sunk into her skin, raising the question of if there was a point to the thick paint the Card'vel wore other than a strange cosmetic.

Once she'd scoured herself clean, and washed out her hair, she took the rock, wrapped the cloth around her torso, and began to use it on her armor. It hadn't been cleaned for a few weeks, and after the last few days, it was filthy enough that she didn't want to put it back on, now that she was finally clean herself. "I might just put on clean clothes and make a stop at Breezehome for my dragon armor once we reach Skyrim," she muttered absently.

As if on cue, a set of clothes appeared next to her. Though they were far more modest than most outfits she had seen thus far, they were far more revealing than most other designs. Made of the strange leather that left a not entirely unpleasant tingle on her skin, it was, most importantly, free of dirt, sweat and ash. Small precious shards of ruby and emerald decorated them but they were mercifully free of bone fragments.

She paused for a moment before putting them on, her fingers tracing across the scars along her body, and lingering on the mass of scar tissue on both sides of her left shoulder. Then she smiled and pulled them on. 'Dragon Mother', they were calling her. Well, there was no shame in the scars she'd gained on her journey to become it. She probably wouldn't wear it for riding Odahviing, but for the time being, there wouldn't be a problem.

Clean and dressed in fresh clothes, she stowed away her armor. She'd been eating all the while she'd been bathing-or at least when she was relaxing in the hot water after she'd finished scrubbing herself off-and was ready to get started again.

The same girl from before reappeared and, with a toothy approving smile, gestured for her to picked up her pack and followed after.

* * *

Partway back, the girl hesitated. She waved Ravenlight to follow and ducked into another tunnel. This one started to gather mists as they went along, emanating from strange shrines decorated with skulls. There were whispers that followed them but they sounded...approving? It was all very strange but not threatening.

The girl took her to a room where every inch of the walls were painted with frescos that, upon closer inspection, seemed to be showing the history of Vvardenfell. The girl seemed very excited to show off the wall of history, running to an empty spot and pointing to Ravenlight before pointing to the spot.

Ravenlight raised an eyebrow, remembering the Halls of Stories in the numerous barrows she'd explored, and Alduin's Wall in Sky Haven temple. "Is that where you're going to record this?"

The girl hooked her fingers together and mimicked flapping wings with her hands and held it up to the spot. She seemed pleased with the idea. The whispers did too.

"_To be known, to never let your story fade, is to teach the world to protect itself, child._" A whisper said, stronger than the others.

"_And the world must learn the strength to listen_," came another, male this time. "_We passed our stories down. What will you tell them?_"

Ravenlight smiled. "I will tell of a girl who loved, who lost, and who learned to love again. Who knew madness and sanity; homelessness and the comfort of home. A warrior and a mother, a sister and a child; one who knows the strength of a mother's arms, a sister's bond, and a warrior's blade and bow. That is what I will tell, to my people...and if you so wish, to yours."

"_The world will never thank you for saving it. Hold fast to your stories and face a thankless world with all the strength you have learned._" Came the first whisper. "_Years from now, maybe another will tell the same stories with the same strength. Go, adopted daughter. Share with all peoples._"

"I will do so." Ravenlight bowed.

The mists swirled around her briefly before going still again.

The girl stared wide-eyed at her, obviously not expecting this to happen when she thought to show off the history walls. "Nibani Maesa. Sul-Matuul." She said slowly. Then grinned widely. She took Ravenlight's hand and raced back through the tunnels, swiftly returning her to the cavern where they had left the three boys.

* * *

Which had managed to erupt into chaos while Ravenlight was gone.

Nevano was rolling on the ground, laughing in hysterics while a half-dressed Veleth fled from a very persistent Uliamu holding a long needle and gold ring.

"I said EAR! NOT MY NOSE, YOU INSANE WOMAN!" Veleth bellowed, doing his best to get away from her.

"What in heaven's name?!" Ravenlight jumped back, carrying the girl with her, barely in time to avoid being crashed into.

Nevano managed to get a gasp of air in. "He promised her an earring to get us in. When you passed out." He wheezed. "She upped the price."

"Earring not enough!" Uliamu pouted. "You took the others out!"

"Would she listen if I told her a nose ring makes fighting harder?" Ravenlight said.

"Not in the slightest." Nevano dissolved into another fit of giggles. "She wants him as decorated as any Card'vel."

"I'm not walking Blacklight's streets at night with _gold in my ears_!" Veleth protested.

"Fine." Uliamu held up a ring made of bone. "Not gold."

"That's not better!" Veleth looked thoroughly freaked out by now.

"You know," Ravenlight said carelessly, walking past Uliamu, "when you agree to a price and then change it on people, they eventually stop agreeing to anything. Maybe he'll accept other decorations later, if you stick to the price you agreed on earlier."

"He takes it out, it loses it power. Nose is harder to take out. Keeps more power!" She said, undeterred.

"Okay, before she suggests another place as compromise he _really_ won't like..." Nevano said. "How about a more powerful ring for the first two holes you put in his ear? That way, it'll give him more power that'll linger when he does wear it."

Uliamu suddenly looked thrilled and dashed from the room.

Veleth sank to the ground. "I swear, she's going for something bigger next time."

"If we all survive this, expect her to want to mark you." Nevano grinned. "Pick a good spot for a tattoo because it's coming!"

"We're going to the Forsworn," Drizzt commented wryly from the sidelines. "Wait until she sees what Madanach's people look like."

"She'll get ideas and lots of them!" Nevano laughed. "She only does it to him because she really likes him. You should have seen her face when she learned he got married. Actually...every woman here had the same look. They weren't best pleased."

"I really need them to stop marking their territory." Veleth grumbled. "Before I just give up entirely and go to Solstheim for the rest of my life."

Ravenlight and Drizzt exchanged a look, then they both laughed.

"My goodness, _that_ sounds familiar."

"B'vek, not you both too!" Veleth dramatically flopped on the ground.

"No. We've pretended to be lovers on several occasions," Drizzt explained. "Sometimes it was to protect her. On a few memorable occasions, it was to protect _me_."

"Oooh That gives me an idea!" Nevano said brightly.

"NO!" Veleth said. "Your ideas means paperwork for me! Gods and we're about to go pick up a group that only encourages this..."

"He's not fun at all." Nevano said in mock seriousness to Ravenlight and Drizzt. "Always beware of making friends with guards. Most got a stick up their ass."

"Just for that, I'm not breaking you free next time you piss off a noble." Veleth growled.

"Your locks are easy to pick anyway." Nevano smirked. "Which councilor do I need to bully into getting the funds to change that?"

"...Arobar." Veleth finally muttered unwillingly.

"Consider it an early birthday present." Nevano stood up and stretched. "We're leaving soon, I take it?"

"We still need to collect the ones we'll be taking along, I think," Ravenlight answered, "and we won't be riding Odahviing while I'm dressed like this, for fairly obvious reasons. But Andahar and Arvak can take us to any centers of civilization we need to reach."

Veleth suddenly realized just _what_ she was wearing and couldn't stop his ears from turning red.

"They adore you." Nevano nodded in appreciation. "That's good. I know a good spot Odahviing can drop us off at. Not too far from Blacklight, easy to get back to the city, close to our first stop."

"All right. I'll need to put on something a little sturdier-not to mention warmer-but I can wait to do that until I know we've collected what and who we need." Ravenlight settled herself down beside Drizzt. "Who will we be looking for in Blacklight?"

"Picking up four. The twins, Nevusa and Drelasa. We'll get Drelasa first. I have a few groups I'll motivate to meet us there. Kaid-Anit came by. Said they'd all meet us at the ruins. I don't know what you said to him for him to convince them all to go but damn."

"He spoke with the Dov. I wasn't entirely awake for some of their conversation, but I heard enough to continue it when I did wake up." She glanced at Nevano and Veleth again and smiled a little, deciding not to mention that he had asked her to take care of them. "He had some advice; and a warning. I listened."

She considered. "Afterward, though: a girl whose name I never caught took me to their room of histories; I couldn't understand what she was saying, but I think they plan to add my coming here to their wall. A couple of spirits spoke to me; about how the stories of heroes help the world defend itself. They asked what I would say in my story; I told them. When they left, the girl said something about..." She frowned a little, remembering. "Nibani Maesa and Sul-Matuul."

Both Nevano and Veleth's jaws dropped. Nevano went a bit pale and Veleth looked as if a sneeze could knock him over.

"She said that?" Nevano breathed.

"Yes. Who are they?"

"It's a good thing, don't get me wrong there!" Nevano said in a rush. "They...they died about a hundred years ago. They were...Nibani was the wise woman and Sul-Matuul the ashkahn of the Urshilaku tribe. It was them who...helped make me the Nerevarine. They kept the stories from the Battle of Red Mountain alive." He sucked in a breath through his teeth. "A group shunned by the world but they still helped save it."

"That would explain it. They said the world would never thank me for saving it, but to hold fast to the stories and face it anyway." Her smile widened. "And they called me 'adopted daughter' before they left."

Nevano _did_ plop to the ground on that one. "Whew!" He whistled. "Well… congratulations. The next earring might be going to you! The clan adopted you. You are Velothi now. They don't just hand that out!"

"I'm going to claim a bit of jealousy here." Nevano recovered a bit to smile. "They sent me into two cursed ruins on a goose chase before they called me that. Though I wouldn't say fruitless...that's how I got Bonebiter. It belonged to Sul-Senipal, Sul-Matuul's father."

Drizzt smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. "Would this be the first time someone adopted you, rather than the other way around, _essiel_?"

"Probably. And..." She reached up and touched the scar on her shoulder. "Don't be jealous. _I_ nearly got my head bitten off by Alduin when I was facing him in Sovngarde before I earned the title of Dragon Queen. Honestly, the cursed ruins were a little easier. You were adopted while you were still on your journey. I...I won't say I've _finished_ mine, that won't happen until I've gone to the Blessed Isles; but I've fulfilled my destiny."

"Another prerequisite for a hero. Lots of scars!" Nevano waves his hands. "Some are awesome, some suck. Veleth has a nice one from a werewolf...eh, three, I guess. Claws suck. I got bit by Dagoth Ur. Not nearly so impressive as a dragon bite though"

"Probably not so painful, either." Ravenlight glanced at Drizzt. "And before you start fussing about what I had to do to kill him, please remember that he literally chewed you up and spit you out that first time. I nearly lost my arm, but I wasn't hanging on to life by a hair and sheer stubbornness."

Nevano pulled his armor aside to reveal the cratered dent in his shoulder where it met his neck. "By itself I'd have been fine. Everything else? It sucked. The ones on my back were the worst."

"That does look like it hurt." She sighed. "I suppose anyone who travels around looking for trouble will find it sooner or later. I just sometimes wish I didn't have to be one doing it."

"Or just be at the wrong place..." Nevano sighed. "Some days I wish I could say mine made me stronger but I don't know. I was born doomed to be messed up."

Eyes shifted to garnet and gazed at him, as she shifted a little closer to her brother. "Are you truly certain of that?"

"That answer changes depending on the time of day." Nevano said, recognizing the dragon. "And for how long Nerevar or a Veleth, doesn't matter which one, has brow beaten me with it."

"Hm." She examined him. "Kaid-Anit described you well. But there is strength in you yet as well. Do not forget that." She rested her head against Drizzt. "Sometimes, when propped against others, the broken ones can be the strongest." She frowned a little then. "Uliamu has been long in returning..."

Nevano frowned, not sure he wanted to know what Kaid-Anit said.

Veleth leaped at the chance, throwing on his armor with the impressive speed of one who practically lived in it. "She's going with the rest of them. Let's go before she comes back with some monstrosity!"

"Are you talking about the ring she was wanting to give you or something else?"

Before Veleth could answer or escape, Uliamu ran back in, thrusting a new earring in his face in her excitement to show him. Veleth blinked. "Okay...that one is not bad..."

Nevano snorted as he looked at the 'ring'. "Well, that armor thought you liked spikes so this fits right in! Where did she find a spike though?"

Veleth let Uliamu work the ebony spiked ring through his ear, wincing a little. "No clue but it's not a bone. I can handle this."

For her part, Uliamu wiggled her fingers and bouncing on her feet in excitement

"Looks...interesting." Ravenlight tilted her head to get a better look, the garnet gone. "I'd probably ask for one made of wolf's tooth or a carved bit of antler myself; but that's got an...appeal to it."

"It matches his armor and the pirates on the docks are less likely to attempt to jump in when he does patrols at night." Nevano snorted. "Not sure why he complained about that. He loves kicking stupid drunk pirates into the sludge at the port."

"But having a number of them come after you gets annoying." Drizzt's words had a _decided_ ring of experience to them, and the look he shared with Veleth was one of complete understanding and sympathy.

"They aren't as fun as putting reavers in their place." Veleth admitted. "It is. The more there are and the stupider they are..." Veleth rolled his eyes. "Like trying to stop the tides. Doesn't work so well. Plus then someone gets mad about blood on the docks and missing deck hands and then I have some irate, hung-over captain bellowing in my office while I'm trying to get my own head to stop ringing. Reavers were easier. No one wondered what happened to them though _somehow_ they kept coming back. Someone want to explain to me how that many damn idiot bandits kept breeding like rats on that fecking island?"

"Coming from other places?" Ravenlight shrugged. "Same with Skyrim. You'd swear it's not that large, and yet somehow, five months after you've run one bandit gang out of a place, there's another one there."

"Never ceases to amaze me how there always seems to be more bandits than the actual population of their _race_." Veleth sighed. "Not like it's easy to sneak onto Solstheim...and somehow they managed to avoid getting eaten by bears, spriggans, rieklings, werewolves, were-fecking-bears, pissed off horkers...you get the idea."

"They weren't always that lucky in Skyrim." Ravenlight and Drizzt shuddered in unison. "We found plenty of them torn to pieces by animals, murdered by necromancers, or preyed on by vampires."

"...There is no possible way the reavers are smarter." Veleth said flatly. "No. Way. I watched a whole group of them _fall off the cliff_ outside Raven Rock on more than _one_ occasion! That cliff has not gone anywhere! It was the same group too!"

"They might have been drunk," Drizzt pointed out.

"I thought that too." Veleth sighed. "Sadly no. Stone cold sober. Just...stupid. Very, very stupid."

"That too." Drizzt considered. "Though it _might_ also be that they know not to enter any suspicious old ruins in Solstheim. Or that they know that caves are usually inhabited and therefore a bad place to try to hunker down. Not all ruins in Skyrim are already inhabited; same with the caves."

"True." Veleth said. "They did make their camps in the most random places in the open. Made it easier to track them. That was fine with me. Dealing with their stupid was bad enough but I had to deal with the stupid in the ranks...ugh."

"In the ranks. As in, your guard force?"

"Yes." Veleth grunted. "pitiful when I got there. Took a lot of work."

"I don't really remember, back when I went to Solthsteim to deal with Miraak," Ravenlight mused. "Of course, I was very much an outsider there, so I tried to keep out of trouble and away from the guards as much as possible...but I do remember helping with the ash vampires."

"Ha! You were there then? We undoubtedly crossed paths!" Veleth laughed. "After the problem with the damned ash spawn was fixed, I left."

"I think...yes, I remember working with Modyn Veleth." Ravenlight laughed. "Kept puzzling you when I'd whistle as a warning before I loosed an arrow."

"After dealing with raw, rank recruits for so long, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to work with competence." Veleth grinned

"Especially competence who was tired of nearly hitting allies." Ravenlight gave Drizzt an arch look, then laughed when he casually reached out and shoved her onto her side.

"I had a few good guards but...if you had shot any of them in the ass, I would have told them that was their fault." Veleth shrugged. "Especially the twins. They followed me back to the mainland. We are bringing them along. They are the most annoying shites ever but...they are _my_ annoying shites."

"Be interesting to meet them." Ravenlight pushed herself up. "By the way, best make it clear before they meet me that I am not looking, and will not take kindly to being propositioned. I had _more_ than enough of that during my wandering days." She glanced over at Nevano. "That's why I was so sharp with you, that time."

Nevano waved it off. "No harm done. I get it."

Veleth snorted. "They might say something stupid but they'll survive a reminder. However...they won't be _that_ interested. You don't have a twin."

"In that case, we'd best meet them before we retrieve Serana," Drizzt said wryly. "She and Ravenlight aren't twins, but they do look remarkably similar."

"Divines, yes. Serana would react worse than even _I_ would." Ravenlight shuddered. "_I_ just got tired of every half-drunk male who came across me taking me for essentially a whore. _She..._ well. I'll just repeat that she's a Daughter of Coldharbour and leave it at that."

"I'll be sure to tell them to flirt at their own peril." Veleth said. "The good news is...besides me, we will have a twin wrangler. Two, actually. And the twins are terrified of these ladies."

"Nevusa and Drelasa? I remember you mentioning the names."

Nevano grinned in delight. "Yup! Oh, you will get along well with Nevusa."

Ravenlight glanced around, then sighed and rose. "Well. If we're going to meet these folk, we should probably get going. Odahviing should have had enough time to rest up; and Blacklight probably isn't any great distance away."

"Not at all, just across the water." Veleth said. "Blacklight is right at the end of the left arm of Morrowind. Nevano mentioned a good place to land and I...I agree."

"All right then." She glanced down at herself. "Let me pull on something that won't leave my legs skinned like a hare from his scales, and we can be off."

* * *

About ten minutes later, they had gathered outside the cave. News had spread quickly that she intended to summon a dragon, and most of the clan had gathered to watch. Ravenlight had pulled on a pair of heavy leather trousers, but had been persuaded by the clanswomen to leave the top alone. She had compromised with a short cloak, to keep from freezing while they flew.

Some distance in front of the cave, she allowed herself a few theatrics, raising her hand dramatically before she Shouted.

"_O DAH VIING!_"

Nevano hid a smile. There were several Ald'vel that had showed up to see and, judging by the wide-eyed looks, this was a story that would be told over and over again around campfires that it was only a matter of time before the story would go that Ravenlight had turned herself into a dragon by the light of the moon.

In less than a minute, there was an answering roar, and a huge form swooped across the sky. He wheeled for a moment, then carefully positioned himself and landed directly in front of Ravenlight.

Drizzt hid his own smile. His sister wasn't the only one with a flair for the dramatic, it seemed. There was no doubt that Odahviing knew how his landing directly in front of her would seem.

"_Drem yol lok!_ Are we to continue our journey, then, _Dovahkiin_?"

"We are."

He lowered his neck to the ground. "Up then! And we shall go!"


	6. In Blacklight

**(WARNING! Major spoilers ahead for 'Rising from the Ashes' and 'Dungeons and Dragonborn!'  
If you, like me, don't mind them, then forge ahead!) **

**In Blacklight**

Veleth was quiet this time around. Even withdrawn, no matter what Nevano said to bring him out of it. He directed Odahviing to a point in the foothills west of Blacklight, in a small clearing with a perfect view of the city below and the port where it opened out to the Sea of Ghosts

Ravenlight could sense that Odahviing had enjoyed the admiration of the Ashlanders, and wanted to land in or nearer the city itself; but he agreed to see the wisdom of not causing a panic, and landed in the clearing. Ravenlight then made him promise _not_ to swoop roaring over the city just for the hell of it, allowed him to forage and look for any other dragons who might have settled in the area, and sent him off. Then she pulled on a warmer tunic and followed the boys down the hill toward the city.

Veleth didn't follow. Instead, he went across the clearing to where a small shrine had been built. It wasn't all that old, judging by how the stone wasn't weathered at all. Nevano stayed uncharacteristically quiet as he too went over.

The shrine was well cared for. The plant life around it had not encroached on it and a lit candle sent a small ribbon of smoke snaking into the air. A single name in the Dunmer-favored daedric lettering was on the shrine above the pit of ashes

Drizzt watched as Veleth knelt down in front of it, a strangely...familiar sense stealing over him. He went still, then walked toward them. "Nevano," he asked quietly, "that shrine. Who is it...to?"

Ravenlight, noticing, stopped and turned back to watch.

Nevano sighed, his shoulders dropping. "When I was first exiled to Morrowind, I had no friends. Nothing and no one. I was labeled a heretic, to the point that city guards and Ordinators went far out of their way to kill me. I was running from the Ordinators one day when I ran into one. Instead of killing me...he shoved me in the shadows and sent the others sniffing in the opposite direction. Then he dragged me to his own home and hid me there, despite the great danger to himself. He and his wife were the first kind people I met in my own homeland." Nevano took a shaky breath in. "They became and remained my truest friends. I was there the day they welcomed their son into the world..."

Nevano had to stop a moment, his breath catching in his throat. "And I was there when Jorun was killed. We couldn't bear to see his ashes in a stuffy temple. So we built this shrine here for him. This was his favorite place. It seemed fitting. I could tell you a thousand stories about Jorun Veleth but..." Nevano's voice wavered. "Just know that if there was one Dunmer who truly thought about everyone else and rarely himself...it was Jorun."

Drizzt inhaled sharply, memories crashing over him. _I had no friends. Nothing and no one..._ He blinked, looking down, and trying to hold the tears back. "Gods," he whispered. "And...Veleth...is his son?"

Nevano nodded. "He blames himself for his father's death but it's _not his fault_."

Drizzt gripped Nevano's shoulder tightly for a moment, then walked over to Veleth and knelt beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder as well. Ravenlight drifted closer. She'd heard just enough of what Nevano had said to understand exactly what was going through Drizzt's mind.

"You are not to blame," the Drow whispered, his voice harsh with sudden tears. "You are _not_. No more than I was."

"I was a blind fool from start to finish and it was him who paid for it..." Veleth's voice was very tight. "It's been a year and it still doesn't seem real. The worst part is...my own son was born just three months later. If I hadn't been such a fool..."

"No. Listen." Drizzt drew in a deep breath. "I know. I _know_ how you feel. When my father died, when I found out how, when I found out _why_...I couldn't..." He bowed his head briefly. "My father," he finally said, "was my only friend for the first three decades of my life. The place where I was born was dark beyond belief. Friendship, loyalty, kindness...they are rare down there, if not completely unknown. I would not have lived long after my birth, had not the younger of my two brothers murdered the older. The first friend I thought I had made turned on me at the first opportunity he had to advance himself over me.

"Zaknafein was the first and only person in that accursed city to truly offer me friendship, and remain true. I didn't even know he _was_ my father for a long time. But he learned...he learned that I had kept a sense of honor, had not fallen to the depravity of the others. That was when he told me who he was." He paused, his voice choking up. "But what I had done...was a death sentence among my people. I had spared someone we considered an enemy. A child. In a raid...a raid conducted as a mass sacrifice to the evil goddess my people follow. Because the child lived, the sacrifice was...incomplete. And my life was to be forfeit because of it."

Ravenlight slipped up behind them. She couldn't place a hand on everyone; but she tried. Tried to gather them all: to offer each of them the comfort they needed.

Drizzt continued. "My father...offered himself in my place."

Veleth squeezed his eyes shut on that one.

"I didn't know," Drizzt whispered. "I was not there. I...I learned. Learned barely in time to know that returning to my house would be a death sentence. And that my father had been...sacrificed...by my mother."

"...You know, I've seen a lot. I've even seen some so bad that not even the ancestors wanted them." Veleth said. "However...I think your family, minus you and your father, of course, are taking the prize in being a collective group of guar shit."

"Why do you think I adopted him?" Ravenlight asked. "He needed some living family that was worth something. Badly."

"You might be double adopted." Veleth gave a small smile. "In stark contrast, my mother won't kill you. In fact, she'd happily take on your family for you."

"My bets are all on her winning..." Nevano said.

"Fortunately for them, his family is all dead." Ravenlight growled a little. "Trust me, if _I'd_ got hold of any of them..."

"Shit, don't mention _that_." Veleth made a face. "You realize Dunmer can summon souls. She'd summon them just to bitch slap them back to the bottom levels of Oblivion."

Drizzt smiled a little, then squeezed Veleth's shoulder. "I blamed myself for my father's death...but I knew it was not truly _my_ fault, but the fault of...of our kind. The evil way they followed. And I did the only thing I could at the time to honor him. I lived. I lived and I remained true to what he had taught me." He stood. "Sometimes...sometimes that's all you _can_ do. Live, and honor their memory by remaining true."

"She could have some of them." There was a very definite draconic edge to Ravenlight's voice. "But if she did that, his sisters would be _mine_, the hagravens."

"I'm almost scared to have you meet now because she'd agree to that..." Nevano leaned away. "Then you two'd start pulling the list of souls to smack."

"I..." Veleth started to say but stopped when a sudden gust of wind caused the candle to sputter, the smoke twisting desperately in the air.

Ravenlight and Drizzt looked up sharply, both sensing that this might not be just a wind.

"_Nivisu, julekil!"_

Veleth didn't even hesitate. As soon as the wind carried the whisper to his ears, he was moving. In one swift motion he placed himself between Drizzt, Nevano and Ravenlight and the _monster_ that roared into the clearing. It resembled a hoofed reptilian with horns that curled around its head and claws that were as long as the length of a hand. Veleth's sword was in his hand before he remembered drawing it and slashed it down, removing several claws before they could find their mark. Oh how he _hated_ nasty long claws!

Ravenlight spat out a curse and dropped down, calling magic into her hands. There was a green flash and a shimmer coated her body; then fire and ice appeared in her left and right hands.

But Drizzt was neither unarmored nor disarmed. As Veleth launched into the attack, his scimitars appeared in his hands as if he'd conjured them, and he leaped forward to join the other Dunmer, blades flashing. He dodged around it, easily avoiding the claws, his blades flicking and slashing, each stroke opening long rents.

Veleth was power, Drizzt was speed and grace, and between them, the creature simply stood no chance.

Nevano pulled out Bonebiter, taking aim at the thing's face. This was _not_ the demon's place. This was _their_ place and if he could, he'd send this thing through Oblivion over and over and over until whatever made up its soul was scattered into nothingness.

It wheeled, trying to catch even one of its opponents before it was torn apart. Ravenlight noticed Nevano drawing the bow back and whistled shrilly. Drizzt caught Veleth's arm and flung them both flat, just as Nevano released the arrow.

Bonebiter lived very much up to its name. Its magic was old but still very strong. The instant the arrow touched the demon's face, its skull crushed like a dry wasp nest underfoot

Veleth panted far harder than he should have when the demon went down shrieking. Too many emotions warred in him, muddling even his rage. It was the same hurricane he had felt after his father had died. It wasn't anything he ever wanted to feel again. "What the hell? That's not a vampire!"

Ravenlight's eyes widened. "You-it felt like a vampire to you?" She walked over and stared down at it. "Gods...I didn't...I think I know what this is."

"Best not to ask me what I'm feeling." Veleth shook his head. "I'm not even sure myself."

Nevano went to Ravenlight's side. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Kaid-Anit warned me: said that there might have been a...child of Vivec and Molag Bal hunting us." She knelt down, picking up a stick to gingerly examine it. "I believed him: but I didn't expect the attack would come this quickly."

"Damn that hermaphrodite bastard!" Nevano exploded. "Whatever hell he's floundering in I hope it _hurts_. He's been gone over two hundred years and we _still_ are feeling the effects he's had on this plane!"

"Looking at this..._thing,_ I'm inclined to agree." Ravenlight shivered with revulsion and stood, dropping the stick. "I've seen some horrors, but this is in a realm of its own."

Veleth shifted. "Nevano, we need to get home. Now."

"We can't exactly leave THIS here." Nevano growled.

Before any of them could do anything else, the candle on the shrine flared blindingly and the corpse burst into flames.

Veleth stared dumbly as it was quickly turned to ash. "...Thanks, Da."

"Jorun...that's just showing off now." Nevano cracked a smile. "Okay...yeah, time to go home. Let's go. This thing was weak. This was just a test. I really don't want to see what the next one looks like."

Ravenlight turned and looked at the shrine, almost as if she could hear something the others couldn't. She stood still for a moment; then bowed gracefully. As she straightened, she whispered, her words barely audible to those around her. "I promise. I will."

"See? It was that meddling that got him _fired_ from being an Ordinator." Nevano muttered.

Veleth didn't ask. He didn't need to. He knew his father well enough he could guess what had just happened and...if he were completely honest with himself, it was rather comforting. He had come to truly trust these two and they had just seen him at his absolute worst. It was...really nice finding true friends like this. Still, he didn't want to linger. There was too much to do.

* * *

He urged them to get their magical mounts out and they took off into Blacklight. He directed them through the confusing streets of Blacklight into a residential area. The familiar sights flew by as he counted the corners. As soon as they reached the correct door, Nevano was off and dashing to the door. He knew why Veleth was nervous. If _they_ had been attacked...what if it knew about their allies?

As soon as Nevano's hand touched the door, it crashed open and an enormous beast flew out the door and pinned him to the ground under a massive pile. Nevano was flailing and bellowing obscenities underneath the...snuffling and wagging tail?

Ravenlight stared. "Is that a...a dog?"

"Yes...yes it is." Veleth said, jumping off. "And Nevano is one of her favorite people. Lady, get off."

The dog was the most wrinkled beast that ever existed, her jowls hanging low, strings of drool hanging even lower. A long tongue lolled from massive jaws as she happily panted out clouds of foul smelling breath.

Ravenlight gingerly permitted it to sniff at her as it finally allowed Nevano to get up, ready to move quickly away if it decided to offer her the same enthusiastic greeting. "She seems almost as...eager as Guen, sometimes. Though Guenhwyvar doesn't...slobber."

"I had no idea what purpose this thing served...but, as it turns out, she can tear a chunk out of a Thalmor when they try to drag her away." Veleth scratched her ears. "She also can round up Nevano no matter which tavern we have to drag him from. Good dog."

"What the...how are you boys back so soon?" A woman appeared at the door, frowning in confusion. She was older, her dark hair streaked with gray but she was not diminished in any way. Her eyes were strikingly similar to Veleth's. "I never even heard about you crossing Skyrim!"

Ravenlight stepped forward. "I gave them a hand with that. Are you Drelasa?" She paused. "I...have a message for you, first." She stepped up close enough to the woman that when she whispered, only Drelasa heard.

She smiled. "I see. Thank you, sweet child. Now...Modyn, Nevano, are you going to do introductions or do I have to be polite for you?"

Both Nevano and Veleth stumbled over themselves in the most amazing show of jumping at her command ever seen. Apparently, Drelasa was someone who commanded an enormous amount of respect.

She sighed. "Good try. Come, inside. Let's not do this out where the walls have eyes and ears. Things have settled down a bit in this city but there are still those who would love to use any tidbit they can obtain. Like a stray dog fighting over scraps." She ushered them inside and set to fussing over Drizzt and Ravenlight, nudging Lady to go sit in an enormous basket that had been decorated with a large bow.

Ravenlight relaxed astoundingly fast, chatting happily with Drelasa as she bustled peacefully about. Drizzt appeared mildly surprised-but certainly not averse to this sort of treatment!

* * *

Drelasa immediately set about making something for them to eat, sending her son running for items as she needed them. "If you both survived a trip with these two, you deserve more than a hot meal but I'm afraid that's all I can offer on such short notice." She paused for a moment to make a quick drink for them, pulling a few bottles out to pour into the drinks to create something rather sweet and cool smelling. "Hackle-lo. It'll help give you a boost." She said, pressing it into their hands.

"Thank you. We could use it; flying from High Rock isn't as tiring as riding, but it can be tiring enough." Ravenlight accepted the cup and drank slowly. "Mmm. I think I've had this before, long ago; it sparks a sort of memory."

Drizzt drank in silence. He'd never had it before; but it was good, and seeped through his limbs to banish some of the weariness nonstop travel produced.

"Probably by another name. Hackle-lo is merely what it is called here though I know it grows in other provinces." Drelasa turned back to the stew, sprinkling a few more hackle-lo leaves into it. "Many on the road simply chew the leaves but I found that when it's boiled down and put into a drink with wickwheat, it is far more potent."

"Interesting; I may have to take the time to harvest some of those leaves, before we're dashing off again." Ravenlight sipped at it again. "I'll let Nevano and Veleth explain their part of it; but the long and short of it is that disaster is brewing, and we're trying to rouse as much of Tamriel as we can to head it off."

"I figured as much when the four of you poured in here impossibly fast from across Tamriel on summoned beasts." Drelasa gave them a small smile. "First though...since I can already guess my two...Nevano, go get them. And if you stop for a drink, I will tie your drunk ass to a metal pole in a thunderstorm."

"Yes, mother." Nevano snarked. "Shall I get training pants out too?"

A small ball of electricity started to form in Drelasa's hands, prompting Nevano to bolt out so fast it was as if he teleported out.

"Cheeky ass." Drelasa shook her head

"Only the last leg was on summoned creatures," Ravenlight said with a little smile. "Though I suppose it _could_ be said I summoned the other. And yes, I must agree that he is."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with the dragon that has the entire city turned on its head, would it?" Drelasa gave her a knowing smile.

Ravenlight sighed. "I _told_ him to keep away from the city. I should have known he wouldn't do it. Yes, we rode in on Odahviing." She cocked her head to the side. "And with that...I suppose you can guess who I am."

"Sweet child, I know who you are and you too, darling." She said that last bit to Drizzt. "My husband would have loved to have heard about where you are from."

"For the first few minutes, at any rate," Drizzt said dryly. "Unless you mean the rest of that world-and that I would share, and gladly."

"All of it really." She laughed. "He had an intense curiosity that could never be fully satisfied."

"Well...there is that." Drizzt smiled. "I do remember; a long time ago now. I spoke extensively with a group of scholars about the Underdark, being at the time one of the few people who would have any idea of what it was like there." He glanced at Ravenlight. "And...I will admit there is much about this world I am curious about. My sister and I don't often leave Skyrim."

"Maybe once you have stopped this, you will have time for more leisurely travel." Drelasa said.

Ravenlight grimaced and shook her head. "It's not that we don't have time. It's that I _can't_. When I was younger, not long after Firefall, the one I loved, was killed by the Thalmor, I was stricken with a wanderlust so severe it was bordering on madness. It drove me out of Valenwood and from country to country for the better part of a century, and did not let up until I crossed into Skyrim and killed my first dragon there. For the most part now, it's gone; but if I leave Skyrim for too long, without being sent, as I am now, the wanderlust returns."

"Ah I see. Not the first time I have seen that. I knew how to get him to come back but sometimes...it would take a few decades." Drelasa put a loaf of bread and a strange looking jelly in front of them. "Though I will admit, giving Nevano notice I was pregnant got him to stay for a good ten years or so. Eat now while you can. Once everyone is in here, there won't be leftovers. I have better luck keeping the fish in the sea fed than keeping those wearing armor satisfied."

Ravenlight laughed and moved to help herself. "Sounds like the Companions, Farkas and Vilkas in particular. They love to come to my house and be fed; I don't mind seeing them come, but I'm always a little frightened to try and feed them. I've started telling them to let me know in advance before they arrive, so I can hunt a horker or a mammoth and have enough meat for them."

"If that doesn't sound familiar..." Drelasa shook her head. "The worst time was keeping a half grown boy who couldn't hold still AND his nosy father fed. I thought I was going to have to sell the house! Never mind what damage Nevano can do. He might be stunted in height but he can out eat an Orc once he's some place he's comfortable...I should make a second pot of stew...if you don't like the scrib jelly I believe I have some wickwheat butter you might like better."

Ravenlight tried the strange substance. "Mm...a little odd, but I've eaten stranger. We were stuck down in Blackreach for what proved to be four days, and we'd managed to lose our provisions in the city we had to hunt through to reach it...we were eating anything we could find before we finally found the way out."

"Chaurus eggs," Drizzt agreed, taking a liberal amount of the jelly, "and chaurus flesh. And the least poisonous mushrooms we could find. Mudcrabs and blindfish, when we found them, were a delicacy. This is delightful, certainly compared to that."

Drelasa smiled. "It's different but once you warm up to it, you put it on everything. And hunger is often the best sauce. Though I am glad to hear about your fondness for mudcrabs because that is in the stew. One of the benefits of living by the shore; plenty of fresh food from the sea." Drelasa raised an eyebrow as the sound of arguing echoed through the door. "I see Modyn found Nevusa."

Drelasa moved to open the door but it flew open and a short-haired woman ran in, holding a giggling infant in the air. "GOT YOUR KID!"

"It's not the kid I'm worried about, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIS MOTHER?!" Veleth came charging after her.

"Nothing? This time!" She danced around, keeping the table between her and him, the baby squealing with laughter. "See? Dusty thinks it's funny!" She looked over, her red and yellow eyes like a burst of sun. "Oh hi! Look, Dusty, new friends! Say HI!" The baby blinked at them before giving them both the biggest smile a baby could muster, showing off all three teeth.

Ravenlight did not _quite_ let out a delighted squeal at the sight of the baby, but she stood up, eyes sparkling, and held out her hands. Even Drizzt half-rose, eagerness on his face.

The woman glanced at Veleth and, after receiving the go-ahead, grinned and handed the baby over. The infant, for his part, did let out a delighted squeal, instantly drawn to the interesting color of Ravenlight's skin. He reached up for her hair.

"His name is NOT Dusty."

"It is now!"

Veleth sighed. "My son. He has a name that is very much Dunmer but apparently every woman in my life says Dusty."

"All babies get nicknames," Ravenlight said cheerfully, bouncing the giggling infant in her arms with the long skill of a sister accustomed to doing just that. "'Dusty' is nowhere near as bad as what Sparrowwing called me up until I was _five_. Or what he called my sister Hawkmane."

"I still need the story behind why _you_ had him." Veleth glared at Nevusa.

"I wanted to see my nephew!"

Drizzt and Ravenlight looked up at each other across the baby, then burst into laughter, Ravenlight clutching Dusty a little harder to keep from dropping him, Drizzt grabbing the edge of the table to steady himself. "Gods above," Ravenlight finally gasped out, "did _that_ not sound familiar?!"

Drizzt snorted. "You mean after you told me you had your hands full with helping Elisif figure out the best way to get rid of the Thalmor and probably couldn't come for a few months, and I told you that _my_ child was about to be born? And then you were there a day and a half later?"

"Oooh there's a good story there!" Nevusa leaned forward, her eyes glowing almost orange. "Funny story on this little guy. This big dumb ox had no idea he got his lady friend with child, gallops off to save the world, then gets the surprise of his life when she shows up belly first! Bit of an uproar."

Veleth sighed irritably. " 'Vusa, you got someone else to annoy?"

"Just you, _daesohn_!" She said brightly

"So. Nevano didn't say anything about who you were," Ravenlight said, looking up from the baby for a moment. "But something tells me you're related to him. And probably closely. Am I right?"

"Another funny story!" she said. "And remarkably similar. He's probably not used to saying it...but yes we are related. I'm his daughter he didn't know he had until last year."

"Indeed?" Ravenlight finally gave in to the not-so-subtle hints Drizzt was giving her and handed over the baby. He was not quite so familiar with holding or handling babies, it seemed; but he was giving it his best shot. "Hmm. Interesting."

"Speaking of Nevano," Ravenlight looked around suspiciously, "I think it's been a while since he left. Would these twins he was sent to find be that difficult to come across, or should I take my wayfinder and go looking for him again? Especially considering what happened the _last_ time he took longer than he should have for an errand?"

The baby squealed happily and grabbed at Drizzt's long white hair, enthralled with these new people.

Drelasa smiled. "Give him a few moments. Blacklight is large and the twin's cover quite a large and, rather often, random patrol pattern. They don't like being tracked."

"All right, then." She scooted her chair closer to Drizzt's so that she could continue to coo and play with Dusty. "But if he's _not_ back in a few more moments, I'm suggesting either the wayfinder or Guenhwyvar. Or both."

"In his defense, he doesn't have to look for trouble. It often finds him first." Drelasa went about getting a second pot of stew cooking, passing Nevusa several strange looking vegetables to cut up. "However, in favor of your stance, trouble doesn't often attack him. It stands in front of him and he is attracted to it like a moth to flame. Most people run. He chases it."

"Unless it involves rats or the ocean." Nevusa chirped.

"Not the ocean itself, despite what he says." Drelasa said. "It's the vessel on top."

"Well, in that case, it's a good thing we're not planning to use ships any time soon; at least, not with our running around." Ravenlight carefully eased a lock of hair out of Dusty's hand before he could put it in his mouth. "You know, you _are_ allowed to stop him before he puts it in his mouth. We'll be riding Odahviing back to Skyrim once we've put out the word about what's happening in High Rock; we're going to rally the Dawnguard, collect the Companions, and I..." She paused for a moment. "I want to try to call as many dragons to our cause as possible."

"Hmm, I wish to hear this in full." Drelasa said. "Wait for the twins. They may only be two but they are a force to reckon with. I might have quite a bit to add as well."

Dusty squealed in protest until his father, who had quietly been listening and peeling a gray vegetable, handed it to him. He silenced instantly, doing his best to get his mouth around the vegetable but it was enormous compared to him. Still, a fun game to distract him.

"Something you should probably remember," Ravenlight said, "Babies put _everything_ in their mouths. You'll want to watch out when he gets a little bigger."

Veleth snorted. "Bit late with that warning. He's been doing that since he could figure out how to get it to his mouth. He would get your ears when he was still a newborn. The instant he started crawling was the day we did a complete sweep of the house, though his favorite thing is hair and the dog."

"Not you," Ravenlight said, eyes glittering impishly, "_Him_." She jerked her head toward Drizzt. "His daughter's not quite five months old yet." She glanced at him ruefully. "In all honesty, I hadn't really wanted to get you involved with this, but Serana was so panicked I figured I needed the best backup I could get."

"You have a little one too?" Nevusa's eyes sparkled. "That's great! There's too few children as is!"

"And so do I. Admittedly, all of mine are adopted, but it doesn't make any difference to us." Ravenlight smiled. Then her smile slipped a little. "You know, we're going straight to Windstad Manor after we're done here. I...I want to make sure they're all right."

"Children, in any form, are to be celebrated." Nevusa said. "Though...most adoptions around here are of adults..."

"Oh?" Drizzt gave his sister an amused glance before turning to Nevusa. The vegetable slipped from Dusty's grasp; his hand snaked out and caught it before it could fall more than a few inches, and returned it to the baby.

Dusty babbled as if in thanks and went back to gumming his ash yam.

"Yeah." Nevusa looked at Dusty almost sadly. "Children are not...easy to come by. We have our children in age groups by decades, not years. The groups are...small. Enough about sad things though! I've always wanted to see Skyrim. Closest I've been is here, looking at the mountains. What's it like?"

Ravenlight glanced at Drizzt. "You think Odahviing would mind carrying one more?"

Nevusa suddenly looked so excited she seemed to vibrate in place. Veleth gave her a flat look. "You mentioned a single damn thing about _it_ and I'll shove you off."

"I'm tempted to ask...but I recall a few things I don't want to get out and will be nice about it." Ravenlight glanced over at Drelasa and stood. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Thank you, sweet child, but most everything is done. Besides..." Drelasa nodded at the door as Lady woofed. "I hear twins."

The twins came in, talking in disjointed, nigh unintelligible fragments. They were perfectly identical, from their cobbled leather armor that was decidedly _not_ a guard uniform, to the tattoos and scars that covered most of their exposed skin, to their hair style, shaved and was obvious at a glance that they would take great pleasure in folk not being able to tell them apart.

Veleth, on the other hand, seemed to not have a single issue telling them apart. "Out of uniform and talking about a patrol _not_ in your area?"

The twins, obviously _not_ expecting him, snapped to attention and spoke in perfect unison. "He did it!"

Veleth rolled his eyes. "Ravenlight, Drizzt...meet Minnasour and Zebdusipal Zhand, the two worst cases I ever had the misfortune of being handed in Solstheim. Min is on the left, Zeb is on the right, though it matters little. They are dumb enough to both answer no matter who you call. _You two_ will behave, in as much as you can help it."

Though Veleth was as stern as any commanding officer with them, there was a certain spark of affection in his voice. They were, as he had claimed, very much _his_ mess.

Ravenlight gave them a nod; and notwithstanding what had been said earlier, about them not being too interested since she didn't have a twin, she was careful not to appear too friendly. Drizzt sized them up quickly, though he wasn't expecting any trouble. He had the impression that, if Veleth ordered them to behave, they would behave.

Where's Nevano?" Veleth asked.

"He's coming." One said.

"Saw that thing we had trouble with two months ago." Said the other.

"Remember that?" back to the other.

"Taking care of it real quick."

"Won't be long."

Veleth slapped a hand to his face.

"Should we send out Guen?" Ravenlight asked. "I know you said you send Lady after him; but Guen's bigger."

"No need." Drelasa swept up. "I have this. Mind the stew doesn't boil over."

"I'll take care of that." Ravenlight took her place at the oven.

"Uh oh..._alma_ is mad." Nevusa muttered.

"No worries. I'll have the twins scrub the scorch marks off the streets." Veleth said as his mother left. "Undoubtedly they did something stupid while I was gone."

"We did not!" They said, settling at the table. "Much."

"We probably shouldn't mention that you had to break him out of that Thalmor base back in High Rock in front of her, then," Ravenlight muttered. "Granted, he _claimed_ it wasn't his fault, but..."

"Not sure she's mad at him..." Nevusa said but made a face. "Thalmor again?"

"They're..." Ravenlight paused. "Actually, I'll wait until Drelasa gets back with Nevano, because otherwise it's going to be told in a very disjointed way, and I already know that disjointed stories do _not_ give the information needed. But the Thalmor are heavily involved, and if they didn't _actually_ start it, they are definitely the ones who got it to the crisis point."

"To the surprise of exactly...no one." Nevusa looked out the window as it suddenly turned dark outside. "Oof..."

"What in the world?" Ravenlight didn't dare leave the pots at that moment, but curiosity spurred at her. "What's going on out there?"

"Assuming you've seen him when he gets mad." Nevusa pointed to Veleth while and the twins watched out the window in mild curiosity. "Well...he got that temper from somewhere and, really, it's tempered in comparison to the true source."

The clouds turned black outside in the span of a few heartbeats, the wind picking up. Before Nevusa could say anything else, a single bolt of lightning lit up the sky so bright it blinded them in a blue-white flash. The thunder that followed shook the whole house, a few items falling off the shelves. All at once, the skies cleared and the sun shone again.

"You don't piss off _alma_ Veleth." Nevusa nodded.

Dusty, seemingly completely unaffected by the incredibly loud noise, giggled around his ash yam.

"That would be a most helpful trick in some situations," Ravenlight muttered. "I should get her to teach me that spell; could use it when I'm trying to wrangle the Jarls."

"You want that in lightning, ice or fire?" Nevusa asked. "She can burn the skin off a giant's ass, heal it back in perfectly, and then freeze it to the side of the mountain."

"Lightning's the loudest. Gets their attention quickly." She smirked. "Does the same thing when I Shout, but that would catch their attention and _not_ leave me with a sore throat for a few minutes afterward. Not all the things they say about Nords are true...but I will say right now, they certainly respect the loud ones."

"You...haven't heard her yelling yet." Veleth said.

"The boys are well behaved for a reason." Nevusa helpfully supplied, leading to all the Dunmer males, minus the youngest, to wince.

"You know what, wanderlust or no, once this is finished with, I'm bringing Elisif down here for a month or two to study with her." Ravenlight was not entirely sure if she was joking or not. "She's getting some badly needed starch in her spine, but she hasn't quite figured out how to make sure the Jarls know to take her seriously. Needs something to help make up for being groomed all her life to be a kind of power behind the throne, instead of the one on it."

Drizzt laughed. "That explains what you said back there in the cave, about how your mother could shake his soul loose in his body by screaming at him."

"Best woman for the job, right here!" Nevusa sounded positively _proud_. "She could probably make your dragon friend piss himself if he forgot his manners in front of her. She's the _only_ one who can truly get Nevano to listen."

As if on cue, Nevano came in, rubbing his ears and laughing. "Oh that bastard never saw that coming. That was amazing."

Drelasa swooped in behind him, her red eyes throwing sparks still. "If it wasn't for the fact that I actually need him alive, I'd have left him a miserable pile of black ash on the ground for the pack guars to shit on."

"Honestly, after the fifth proposal I'm surprised you haven't killed him already, ma." Veleth said.

"I need him _only_ because he controls a good amount of the trade routes between Blacklight and Necrom and there is no one either competent enough or not allied with Hlaalu to take his place. Otherwise I'd lop off all the parts that he apparently thinks with instead of his brain and shove them down his gods forsaken throat." Drelasa calmly walked back into the kitchen. "Thank you, sweet child. These should be done in a moment. Would you like to share your tale now? By the time you are done, dinner should be ready."

Ravenlight nodded and took her place, taking a deep breath. "Our part of the tale starts about three weeks back. That was when Lady Serana Volkihar, the last Volkihar vampire-and ironically enough, one of the most powerful and dedicated members of the Dawnguard vampire hunters-got in touch with me, insisting I meet with her and Isran, the leader of the Dawnguard. She told us that she had been sensing the emergence of an artifact of Molag Bal; a relatively unknown one, called the Armor of Wrath. She gave details, but she was so alarmed by what she had sensed that she barely made sense with them, and I truly did not know what that meant. I only knew that Serana is all but impossible to panic-and that Isran hadn't looked that horrified when we told him her old clan had access to an Elder Scroll, some nine years ago. I immediately got hold of Drizzt and told him what was going on, asking if he would join me in trying to find out what this meant. Traveling to High Rock took most of the time; we're both unfamiliar with the terrain, and Serana was not able to give us more than a vague area in the hills to search for. About four days ago, we found the ruin, which was being dug out by Thalmor.

"We really had no other thoughts than to run off the Thalmor, look to see what was in the ruin, and either seal it back off or destroy it if we could." She nodded toward Nevano and Veleth. "Which was, incidentally, when we met with them."

"Certainly explains why they left in a hurry now." Drelasa said. "There is a bit more I take it?"

"Lots more." Ravenlight glanced over at Nevano and Veleth. "Actually dealing with the Thalmor took very little time. We didn't know about each other, which means they were hit from five different sides at once: two sides causing chaos, two cutting them down directly, and me in a sniper's perch picking off anything I saw. It was after the Thalmor were dead that we discovered the real danger." She paused. "I almost...don't _want_ to remember anything about that thing. Take any undead monstrosity you've ever fought. If it was rotten, imaging it more so. If it was quick, imagine it quicker. If it was powerful...well, I think you get the picture. I've fought everything from skeletons to Draugr, Dragon Priests to a _zwelkian_ Dracolich-and I cannot imagine anything nastier than that thing. And we almost couldn't take it down. Nothing we were doing was making it fall. Bonebiter, the Dawnbreaker, Veleth's blade, Drizzt's scimitars-I would imagine every weapon we were using was enchanted, and _nothing_ worked. I finally took a gamble and used a particularly nasty Shout that damages the soul as well as the body. It worked. Though...it had an effect I hadn't expected."

"Understatement." Nevano grinned, winking at her to show he truly wasn't holding it against her.

"Well...healing the damage I'd accidentally done to _him_ with the Shout did almost as much damage to _me_." Ravenlight shuddered. "Honestly, some of the Thalmor tortures hurt _less_. We took refuge in a small cave while Nevano and I slept off the remains of the damage-and that night, Azura decided to show me what we were truly up against in there. The thing we had fought was an early, warped version of a thrall-not truly a vampire, and _not_ the Mistress of the crypt, who was waiting deep inside. The Thalmor, ironically, weren't to blame. She'd been sending out siren songs, promising some Elven relic or such, something powerful that they could use. They didn't know what it was they were truly digging up."

"Serana is five thousand years old. The Mistress of the Crypt is much older-and the Armor that gives her power comes from the very _first_ vampire. The worst part is, the closer she got to being dug out, the stronger her calls became, and we barely escaped the area the next morning before nearly a dozen full vampire _clans_ converged on the area."

"Whole clans..." Nevusa breathed. "Yikes..."

Drelasa stayed quiet.

"So. We rode like hell for about a day, stopped briefly in a small town, where we were able to contact the Armigers and make a _possible_ effort to get the Thalmor to try and clean up part of their mess-though there's a strong possibility now that the one we spoke to, the one who believed us when we told him what was going on, might not be alive when we get back, so I wouldn't count on their help-and then I called Odahviing, the most loyal and stubborn of the dragons who listen to me. He took us to the Ashlands first, where we nearly encountered two _other_ vampire clans-"

"Considering how many screams I heard when I used the great power of Auri-El's Bow, those clans shouldn't be much of a problem now," Drizzt interjected.

Ravenlight nodded in acknowledgement. "-and went on to the Card'vel."

The twins snickered until Veleth silenced them with a look. Drelasa narrowed her eyes a bit but motioned for her to continue

"Uliamu and Kaid-Anit both had warnings and advice. Uliamu warned that more than vampires are answering the Mistress's call. Kaid-Anit said that what was going on with Molag Bal has actually alarmed other Daedric Lords." She paused, her lips pursing. "He also said that we might be hunted by a...what would you call a hybrid child of a mortal and a Daedra, anyway? A spawn of Molag Bal and Vivec."

The twins hissed. Again they were shushed.

"Not enough to destroy our society once the truth came out...gotta help stomp out others too." Nevusa sighed. "This will go over _so_ well with remaining Tribunal supporters. So vampires, Thalmor and demon children! What else?"

"Hopefully nothing more." Ravenlight grimaced. "The demon hybrid attacked us just outside the city. But obviously, we've come to rouse reinforcements. This is Oblivion-Crisis levels of bad. The clans are going to be fighting each other for a while, but whoever emerges will come out stronger for it. And if any of them get a hold of the Mistress, let alone her armor..."

"Vampires everywhere...not to mention how strong whatever clan who gets that armor will become..." Drelasa said.

"It'll be the Volkihar crisis all over again. Only this time, they won't _need_ to hunt for Auri-El's Bow to make it happen."

"You need more than an army...but no time to get it yourself..." Drelasa murmured

"Exactly. We can stay here for _maybe_ a day; but we'll have to leave again before the day is through. We have to reach Skyrim to gather our allies there-and then we probably need to head for Cyrodiil and see if we can't rouse the Legion."

"General Tullius, at least, can vouch for us..." Ravenlight paused. "And I've _met_ the Emperor. He's fighting hard against a strong current, but this is a serious enough crisis to turn things in his favor, at least for the time being."

"Sadly, we can offer no help in regards to the Legion." Drelasa said. "Morrowind has no love for the Imperials. However..." She trailed off as she pulled several scrolls out and an ink well. "We can offer more than a handful. Morrowind will put its grievances aside in light of this. No small thing." She quickly wrote several letters. "Tonight, you will stay here. You are very safe here. No vampire or demon child will dare come here."

"I will be glad for the hospitality." Ravenlight inclined her head. "Tomorrow, then, at first light...we travel to the Throat of the World."

Drelasa finished writing her letters. She went to the door and tapped a beat on it. Then she went to the window and opened it. "The Armiger you met in the High Rock village...cranky with a big mouth?"

Ravenlight shrugged a little. "I...honestly didn't notice. We met with him _directly_ after speaking with the Thalmor official, and I was a little...keyed up from the fact that it had actually gone _well_."

"He had one hell of a choke hold..." Veleth grumbled.

"Ah, I was right. Nix." Drelasa handed the letters to a figure that had materialized from nowhere. "Make sure that goes directly to General Relas' hands and he opens it in front of you. Same with Queen Felsi. If she tries to say otherwise, I will deal with her personally."

The others stared at her as the Armiger bowed low and disappeared.

"You have GOT to be kidding me..." Nevano said.

"That's an...extraordinarily useful skill," Ravenlight murmured. "I'm sure if I tried anything like it, I'd end up lost halfway across the universe, but...a useful skill nonetheless."

"When my dearly departed husband was dismissed as an Ordinator, thanks in no small part to _not_ turning in a certain wanted heretic..." Drelasa smiled at Nevano. "He was offered a spot with the Buoyant Armigers a short while later. Again, I believe a certain heretic had something to do with that. Back then, the Armigers were counterpart to the Ordinators, fighting to keep the ash vampires within the Ghost Fence and, later, hunting the Ashlands to rid Vvardenfell the last of Dagoth Ur's monsters. When the last were rooted out and the Tribunal no longer in power...the Armigers reformed as an organized spy network. Now, while Jorun had been a wonderful fighter, he was, above all else, the smartest man I had ever met. If he saw it or heard it...he never forgot it. It made him a brilliant and formidable spymaster. Unfortunately… he was a lousy spy. Lucky for him, his wife was every bit as capable as he, if not more so if I do say so myself. His death left a huge hole...and not just within the family. Initially the Armigers were interested in seeing if his son could take over..."

There was a chorus of snickers at that, including a snort from Veleth himself.

"Exactly. On the other hand, I knew everything he did. Of course...who did they think kept him organized? So, I've taken over. With that letter I just sent off, the Armigers are now mobilized. From Morrowind to Skyrim to those in High Rock and Hammerfell...they are now making their way to the ruins." She moved to gather bowls from a cupboard, passing them out.

"The second letter was to General Relas. He is not only one of the most capable generals I know of, he is also a close friend and will happily jump if I ask. Things have been quiet lately, he needs to exercise his soldiers. They will enjoy the walk. He will sweep General Garil along, who will goad the Autarch of the Ordinators into accompanying him.

"The third letter was to the newly minted Queen. I warned her to not only not meddle, but to pull whatever favor she has to to get our soldiers safe passage. Cyrodiil's borders are very dangerous to us, but if she can be useful for once and not just a puppet of her conniving mother, you will have a small army of Dunmer waiting for you. Now, come get some stew. One is nix hound and the other is mud crab."

"I'll have to try the mud crab." Ravenlight smiled. "My youngest _loves_ mud crab legs, to the point that he is trying to hunt the ones in the swamp himself to get them. It drives his older brother, and my housecarl crazy when I'm not there."

Drelasa smiled warmly at her and poured her a heaping bowl, snapping her fingers in the stunned faces of the rest of her family. "Here you go dear. Drizzt, darling, go get something to eat. I will look after this little imp." She happily took her grandson, who babbled happily and showed off his slobbery ash yam.

Drelasa smiled happily when they all finally kicked their brains into gear enough to finally start eating. "You might take Nevusa with you, if you can. The twins and I shall make our to High Rock ourselves. Don't worry, sweet child. I won't let you face this alone."

"Thank you." Drizzt took some stew from the same pot Drelasa had served Ravenlight from and sat back beside her. "How soon will the Dunmer be mobilizing? It shouldn't take _too_ long for our business in Skyrim, but if we need to meet with these generals, we need to know when and where to go to do so."

"No need. Relas and Garil just so happen to be in Blacklight right now, meeting with the High General. They are, in all honesty, bored out of their minds." Drelasa rolled her eyes. "Soldiers...a breed of their own. Anyway, I know those two well enough that the instant they twist Garil's head so he can read that letter with his good eye, they will be running to get their soldiers up and running. Right, Nevusa?"

Nevusa gave a thumbs up while she fought off either Min or Zeb from her bowl. "Get your own, you fetchers! Oh yes. After dealing with undead Ordinators, the king lich and Thalmor...Garil was complaining that his wife was on his ass about actually retiring while he still has the limbs to enjoy it. For a man who named a Safepoint after his wife, he complains about her a lot...anyway, all they are doing now is rebuilding Mournhold and it's become a pissing match who can do it better; Redoran or Ordinator. They still haven't dug out the temple fully yet though." She grinned broadly. "I'm doing what I can to keep it that way."

"Undead Ordinators and a lich king?" Drizzt exhaled. "And I thought what I'd been going through in _my_ home was getting crazy."

Much to Veleth's annoyance, Nevano and Nevusa happily and eagerly told them the tale of how Mournhold had been over-run by the corpses of the Ordinators who had died allowing as many people to escape the city as possible during the Argonian invasion. And of how the former king of Morrowind, Helseth, had turned himself into a lich before the palace had been destroyed, trapping a dark magic in the city. Both were suspiciously vague about the Temple of Almalexia, other than to say how amazing it was to get both Garil and the Autarch to stare, dumbfounded, as the temple blew sky high.

Afterwards, Nevano somehow remembered Drizzt's comment on the last time a Thalmor had gotten his hands on something powerful, and asked them to clarify. They were persuaded fairly easily to tell about the Eye of Magnus and most of the trouble surrounding it-though neither one went into detail on the aftermath of the Caller's attack on Drizzt. Labyrinthian, however, they described with enthusiasm, as well as the frantic race across Skyrim once they left the ruin with the Staff of Magnus-to say nothing of the final battle with the crazed Thalmor, Ancano. Ravenlight also found a place to mention that Ancano was the one who had insulted Drizzt-and repeated the insult in such detail Drizzt knew that, while _he_ had more or less forgotten it over the years, _she_ certainly had not!

"Amazing, that one was intelligent enough to know how to use that insult but not enough to not mess with ancient relics that are almost _always_ guarded by magics that will cause a _lot_ of damage." Drelasa shook her head while she helped the baby munch happily on a few bites of stew. "And then they go mess with yet another nasty relic. Oh wait, this is a third."

"Much as I would like to blame it on them, this was not their fault." Ravenlight sighed. "Imagine...something of Nerevar's, lost for ages. And then you start getting dreams of it, hidden, waiting in this specific place. Waiting to be brought back to the light. Dreams _just_ persistent enough that you can't help but wonder if there's something to them."

She paused, and continued. "It's a powerful artifact; and you're desperate. Say, the Thalmor are pressing closer on you every day. You're losing ground. You're going to lose _everything_. And there's this dream you keep having, this artifact just waiting for you to find it."

"Sweet child, I don't have to imagine that. I know exactly what that is." Drelasa said. "Dagoth Ur's reign of terror is not something us old mer will ever forget. It is a very good motivator for my generals to come running, for they, too, knew what it was to dread the oblivion of sleep and the inevitable whispers. I just hope they don't learn that horrible trick of transporting a minion through to those sleeping like what kept happening to Nevano."

"B'vek, I forgot about that..." Nevano muttered.

"Then you know you'd go for the artifact," Ravenlight said. "You'd hope your dreams were right. And you wouldn't have _any_ idea that, instead of finding an artifact that could save you and your people, you're actually digging up a monstrosity from some of the world's earliest days that will not only finish you and yours off, but then go after the rest of the world. _That's_ what was going on.

"I have no love for the Thalmor. None. But I understand desperation, and I understand being willing to do some...insanely crazy, stupid things to try to make an impossible situation better. And I know exactly how so many of the ones I've done could have gone horribly, _horribly_ wrong."

"I do understand. I do. The problem arises in that the dreams and whispers will always attack those who _want_ to find said artifact first and not for a gain that would benefit all." Drelasa said. "It wants the weak and selfish first and then spreads its influence. By the time the strong hear it...it has gathered no small amount of influence. The Thalmor merely are convenient for it, since they are inclined towards the tendencies such powers want. While the same can be said for members of every race, the Thalmor have been actively looking for relics for a while now. I have no idea why or just what they are looking for...but you'd think they would shove their arrogance aside and have their swollen ranks of mages figure out how to defend themselves against whatever magics would surround these relics!"

"_That_ I would appreciate." Ravenlight shook her head. "Mages. In all honesty..."

Drizzt sighed, leaning back. "That is one constant I've discovered: mages and wizards and their...eternal propensity to meddle with things that surely should not be meddled with. Half the crises in my own lands come directly from that kind of thing."

"Some things remain constant...the allure of power being one of them." Drelasa said. "I suppose I am a bit biased against the Thalmor but after they tried to reforge the Heart of Lorkhan last year, perverting it and nearly causing yet another catastrophic event in Vvardenfell...I trust them around relics far less than anyone else."

"They nearly blew up the College of Winterhold and caused a catastrophe in the Aurbis, one of them was exacerbating the problem between the Nords and the Forsworn in the Reach to a _horrendous_ degree, and their ambassador to Skyrim tortured me personally for _two days_ before sending me to their secret fort," Ravenlight said grimly. "The fact that I was willing to warn that one about what they were actually digging up should tell you how bad things are in that ruin."

"Beware, sweet child." Drelasa frowned. "The Aldmeri Dominion is collapsing on itself. It swelled too fast on too much carnage across all of Tamriel. Not a single province has escaped their reach, this you know all too well...but now many are fighting back. The Thalmor are stretched too thin and the push back is too much. Mer have long lives and a long patience but even they cannot hold long campaigns. They are starting to blame each other and their cruelty is turning inwards. Most will not see this as a bad thing but that mounting pressure will only stay contained so long. Like a boil, it will burst and it will be very messy for those around it. I know I do not need to tell you to be wary but, please...please be careful, darling. I'd hate to have to explain how a seemingly random tsunami wiped whatever they call their shite island off the map for hurting one of my children."

Nevano had to quickly rescue his bowl of stew as it sloshed, as if trying to prove her point.

"Hmmm." Ravenlight's voice grew resonant, and garnet eyes, not amber, met Drelasa's. "I deem you would have aid in that. 'Dragon Mother', the woman in the Ashlands called me." Her shadow seemed to darken and grow: a dragon, arching its wings not in menace, but to envelop and shelter. "There is truth to it."

"Indeed, darling, I would." Drelasa agreed. "My only regret would be that it would cost too much for me to drop a mountain on the remains afterwards."

Dusty's eyes went wide as he watched the shadow. Fascinated, he reached for it, nearly falling backwards.

Ravenlight turned slightly, looking at the baby. And it seemed as if, just for a moment, something was there beside her. Something massive, if able, at the same time, to fit into the relatively small space. It bent its head down, low enough to let the tiny hand touch its snout.

Just for a second, as the little hand brushed against it, the image was clear: a dragon's head, scarlet above, white below, with deep garnet eyes glowing with affection. Then it was gone, like a dream.

Dusty bounced, laughing happily.

"_Gahmuhrjul_, this will be something you will be reminded of for the rest of your life." Drelasa said. Then Dusty blew a giant drool bubble and laughed hysterically. "And that will swiftly follow to embarrass you and remind you to be humble in front of dragons."

The twins and Nevusa were staring, slack-jawed, one spoon clattering to the table. Veleth looked wildly proud. _His son made friends with a dragon_. Nevano simply smiled.

Drizzt just smiled. He'd seen the Dov manifesting more than once: most recently, after his daughter was born. Not two days later, he'd returned to their home to find Ravenlight sitting beside Cattie-brie, cuddling the baby and talking nonsense to her...while a dragon that should not have been able to fit in the room at all was somehow curled up around both women, and watching them with rapt attention.

"There is a thing to be said about shite situations..." Nevano said. "Despite the headache, the blood, the annoyance...you do meet some amazing people along the way. I'd say this qualifies."

"There is certainly truth to that." Drizzt smiled at them. "And...I would, too."

They continued to swap stories until Dusty broke everything up by crying, prompting a rescue by his father to be changed and put down to bed.

After that, the talk turned more serious. They discussed what was known of the different vampire clans, and what strategies might be best against them; what their particular strengths and vulnerabilities were, and how to avoid or exploit them; and how to persuade the varied allies they would be calling together to work together.

When the sun started to go down, Drelasa herded them all off to bed. Though her house was small, she had managed to procure actual beds for both Ravenlight and Drizzt, shooing them under the blankets with a promise to have a full breakfast waiting for them before they left.

* * *

Not everyone slept, though. Nevano stayed downstairs, idly toying with an old battered ring and drinking.

* * *

Ravenlight's sleep was...not as troubled as it might have been. She knew she was seeing the situation back at High Rock; and from the way her vision was wheeling and soaring, she wondered if she might not have been seeing it through Mirdovek's eyes. Battle lines had been drawn around the ruin already, and there were signs that they had clashed already: but outright war had not yet broken out. The town was not yet in danger; nor were the other towns in the area, though she had no doubt they would soon begin hunting for fresh prey.

* * *

Nevano stared at the ring in his hands, suddenly doubting himself. He could envision the hive of vampires ahead of them. Like a kicked ant hill. Like the hordes of ash monsters on Red Mountain.

He couldn't do this.

* * *

She spotted something...unusual, about five miles away from the town they'd stopped at, and went closer for a good look. It was a sort of rough shed, built to give temporary shelter from the sun. Inside it, chained to posts, were five Altmer, stripped to the skin, each one with shallow cuts on their limbs. She recognized the build and the long, pale hair of the Thalmor official she'd spoken to with a shock of rage. _What-what is_ this?

Mirdovek wheeled up again and circled the shed, waiting. Night seemed to fall unusually fast as he hovered, waiting for something. After about an hour, he saw it: stragglers. A small group of vampires, drawn to the scent of blood coming from the shed. He waited for the right moment, not allowing them to draw too close to it, before he struck.

It was a very quick fight: those not instantly incinerated were dealt with with fang and claw almost instantly. And while vampires did not taste good, they were, at least, filling. She took off again and continued to patrol.

* * *

Nevano staggered to his feet, suddenly in a panic. There was too much at stake. Too much. Too many aspects involved...too many friends involved. He had gotten too close again. Stupid, stupid! He couldn't take another loss. Not so soon after Jorun!

The ring clattered to the ground.

* * *

Something was...wrong. Back where she was. She spoke to Mirdovek. "Continue as you were. I will return with others as soon as I can."

She received a thought of assent-and one that suggested he was greatly enjoying this. Then she loosed herself from him and returned, drawn swiftly back to her body. Her eyes opened without a sound, and she rose, pulling on the tunic she'd removed the evening before. _Downstairs. He's downstairs._ She followed her instincts.

* * *

Nevano backed himself into a corner away from the ring, his heart pounding. He glanced at the window nearby. He could get out that way, away from the walls closing in on him. Away from pain.

* * *

She saw him instantly, crushing himself against the corner, looking around like some trapped, wild thing. There was some kind of...smoky haze around him. She recognized it, or something like it, though she was not sure she'd ever seen it this clearly around Drizzt: something was attacking him. She walked toward him, moving gently, as if not to frighten him.

"Nevano."

He jerked when he heard her voice. He wasn't ready to deal with anyone. Not exposed as he was.

She drew closer, calling a little of her powers into her hands to brush away the insidious, whispering shadows. "Get away from him. Nevano. What's wrong?"

He clenched his fists, willing his emotions to shove themselves back into their box. Dammit, where did that sujamma go? "Nothing. Nothing."

"Nevano." There was a gentle scolding note to her voice, coupled with a motherly sort of affection. "I see it. You think Drizzt has never done this?" She walked up to him, gently reaching out to touch him. "What is it? What do you fear?"

His skin twitched where she touched him. He wasn't used to touch. Drelasa didn't hesitate to touch him. Veleth would, on occasion. Beyond that, most didn't like being near him. He was so many things, many of them repellant. As for his fears? Which, he thought sarcastically, did she want first?

No, no. Keep it to yourself. He rammed his thoughts back. Touch was manipulation. He learned _that_ too terribly young.

"_Kos ast drem_," she breathed, gently stroking his hair back. "_Fast nii, dii kul._"

He froze, his throat constricting. He knew that one word, somehow. It was not a word that had ever been spoken to him before. Implied, once. But no longer. That was not him. Not ever.

* * *

Gentle, gentle. Serana had been like this, too. He'd suffered so much. _One is merely...a bag of shattered pieces._ She remembered that. _Perhaps you could put some back together._ "_Kos ast drem, Nevano. Kos ast drem._"

He started to shake. He could count on one hand the people who had truly cared about him. And half were dead while the others marched slowly on in time. While he never aged.

"You are not more broken than others I know," Ravenlight continued. "No more shattered than my brother; no more ageless than my little cousin. You are hurting. Not lost. Ageless, timeless: looking on. I know. I know."

"I have been nothing but a tool since I was a child...no, longer." He whispered through chattering teeth. "When these are gone, it's a matter of time before someone else wants to use me. I'm useful until I break. Then I'm cast aside to die. I won't get lucky again."

Ravenlight pulled him in close. "Come with me to Skyrim," she whispered. "There are words I cannot say, but Paarthurnax can. There is pain I cannot understand, but Serana can. You are not as alone as you believe."

For a brief moment, he almost believed her. For a brief moment, he felt almost warm. His tongue took over in that moment, spilling out words before he could stop it. "Did you know that Ashlanders are looked down on worse than beast races? Their language is considered gutter speak even now. I was born Ashlander...and stolen away as an infant during a raid and sold as a novelty because I was born with yellow eyes. I grew up and was sold as a slave. I was a slave until I was thirteen. I ran away so many times...I was whipped within an inch of my life, my feet were cut...finally some fool bought me and smuggled me to Cyrodiil. I ran away again and discovered I could sell myself...I just wanted to eat. I managed to do..._that_ until a guard caught me. I didn't speak common so I couldn't tell him..._they gave me back to that n'wah!_"

Ravenlight pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him as if to shield him from his past.

He took another shuddering breath, horrified with himself but unable to stop. "That was it. I hit the end of my luck. They couldn't sell me again. So I was thrown in a cave and left to starve. I couldn't move. There were rats...rats everywhere. I just wanted to _die_. But someone came. Someone saved me. He...taught me Dunmeri and common. He taught me to fight. I was Fighters Guild...until I was exiled for something I did not do purely because I was a damned orphan. I was ripped away from all I knew and thrown to Morrowind where they _hated_ me. Hated everything about me. They wanted to kill me...until I nearly died on Red Mountain. Then they tolerated me."

"I thought I got away from it. I was invisible finally. I could go home to Cyrodiil..." Nevano started shaking again. "It was on fire. The whole town. People were screaming. Thalmor everywhere...I snuck in. I had to find him. He was the only one who _cared_ about me. Was happy when I came home. Gave me a home. He was dead. They killed him. They _killed_ him. So I killed them back. All except one. I cut his tongue out. I felt...no better but it was done. I left. Nothing left there. I didn't know that I had created my best friend's killer that day. I lost him and I killed my best friend in one day. It wasn't Veleth's fault Jorun died. _It was mine._"

Her arms tightened even more. That she understood. "I...created a shadow who stalked me for years," she whispered, remembering. "Stalked me and killed so, so _many_ hunting for me. And I hadn't even...I spurned him. That was all. Spurned him and then survived when he tried to kill me for it, cut his pretty face and fled. It was the nearest I'd come to leaving the wanderlust, when we were together. I'd hoped he would...heal the pain I felt. But he didn't want to heal me. He wanted to use me." She blinked quickly, tears falling. "I didn't know...he put out the contract on me. He's the one who sent the Dark Brotherhood after me, so many, many times. They couldn't pin me down until I reached Skyrim. But they killed...they had a description of me, at least, and they killed _dozens_ of other Bosmer girls who just happened to look like me, all across Tamriel. Anywhere I went, I left death in my wake, and I didn't know it."

She shook her head. "He eventually joined them himself, after I killed the agents that did find me, in Skyrim. He stalked me for _months_. Anyone I became friends with was in danger, and I didn't know to protect them. Some he killed: some he maimed. Until finally, I destroyed the Dark Brotherhood. I missed him, and he went mad, tried to finish the last contracts. I was there to protect his last one." She gazed into the distance. "He nearly killed Serana. He nearly killed Drizzt. He only failed because he wanted me to see them die, before he killed me, too-and the only thing he hadn't counted on was the Dov. I almost didn't think I would be able to save them. He'd used poison...and fire."

Nevano held on to her arm, his grip tight. He didn't even want to imagine how many died to the Mute he created

"And Serana...Lady Serana Volkihar. She was the first vampire of her clan." She didn't know why she thought to tell him this, but she felt she had to. "I don't know if she, personally, turned the rest. But she may have been the one who turned her father. And in doing so, she created a _monster_ that even the Thalmor can't match. I saw the undercroft of their castle once. Mounds upon mounds upon _mounds_ of bones, so many that they can't even start to be counted. And the seawater seeped in: many of the remains that had been there may have dissolved in the salt. We saw the undercroft together. We saw the spirits hiding there, not daring to leave the croft while the altar to Molag Bal still stood in the castle above. Valenwood does not have as many leaves as that place had hidden ghosts."

"Sounds like Dagoth Ur...only the souls were trapped in the bodies still." Nevano said. "Ash vampires...are not true vampires but they were once _normal_. Then they were twisted. Their minds and bodies...ruined. Hordes of them. And the Corprus victims...thousands of years of victims. From a single mistake in trust. Nerevar's mistake. I don't read the stories of what happened. I don't like reading. The words flip around. But I don't know if the stories tell of Dagoth Ur truly. He was so insane, his body just...terrifying...but he spoke so clearly and normally that...my mind split in half. He broke me just by talking. He nearly broke Veleth too. He bound his soul to the Heart of Lorkhan and the stupid Thalmor dug the pieces up and _reassembled them_. I had to destroy it all twice. But the second time...a girl named Zula was sacrificed. Her soul used to power the Heart. Gods..."

Her arms tightened around him, memories of caverns decorated with spiders rising in her mind. Even a bow like Breatheater wasn't always strong enough or fast enough to save someone.

Nevano nudged the ring over with his foot so he could pick it up. The black metal was scratched and worn, the purple stone cracked and a dark stain filled the crack. "Jorun always knew how to find me. Didn't know he was a spymaster. Did you know that I knew Veleth the moment he was born? Lasa and Jorun tried for decades. I arrived the day he was born. It was the only time I saw Jorun nervous. Babies are not the cutest when first born. Kinda look like potatoes just pulled from the ground. But he was a cute kid. I've never held anything so...fragile in my life. So I drag him through hellfire when he grew up."

"Do you drag him?" A new voice spoke from the stairs, and they looked over to see Drizzt standing there. Ravenlight had no idea when he'd come down: cats were noisy compared to him. He walked toward them, barefoot and in soft trousers, his hair still mussed from the pillow. "Or do you go, and he follows you?"

He knelt down beside them, putting his hand on Nevano's back. "I understand, as well. I grew up in Menzoberranzan; but a better way to describe it is that I grew up in Hell. After my father was murdered, I escaped the city, and lived in the Underdark for ten years: but even that is a place where there is no peace, no safety: a place where only the savage survive. My mother was not done with me. She dragged my father's soul back into his body, and sent his revenant after me, to kill me."

"Still, I escaped, and my father broke her hold, and was free of both her and the goddess he'd been sacrificed to. I wandered the surface world for another ten years: a pariah, despised because of my race, with no home and only one friend in all that time. When I finally found a place, found friends...I was content. And when I came to accept that the friends I had found were true, I was...I was finally happy." Drizzt swallowed. "But the world I had left behind wasn't done with me. And my sister began to hunt me. The house I came from had been destroyed-and she blamed me. She warped my brother into a creature called a drider-you would call them spider daedra-and did her best to kill me. And one of my friends lost his life."

He stopped for a moment. "He was a young man. Eager, not yet in his prime. And he was killed. Because of me. I was...half-mad with grief, and tried to make it right, running back into the heart of Menzoberranzan. I don't...know what I was thinking. I think I wanted to die, to make up for Wulfgar's death.

"I didn't want the rest of my friends hurt because of me. But one of them-a young woman, Cattie-Brie-came after me. She dove into the heart of Hell itself to rescue me and bring me out." His hand tightened a little. "It still took me time to understand. But I did not 'drag' my friends into danger. I went into it: and they went after me, to make sure I got out."

"Well I _did_ drag him from Solstheim damn near kicking and screaming." Nevano said with a flash of his usual self. "He had exiled himself. Could have found a better place, shit. But apparently we get these bright ideas to go diving into the worst possible places. I don't know who the biggest fool is here. Us for going, them for following or the others for not tying us both to a giant tower bell."

"That's twice you've mentioned that now," Ravenlight mused. "Did it actually happen?"

"Yes. Veleth and Nevusa chained me to one in Mournhold. I snuck off to deal with the lich. They handled the undead. Veleth not so pleased."

"Ah." They exchanged a look, Ravenlight slightly sheepish, Drizzt... "You snuck off to deal with a lich alone? I...think I understand their sentiment."

"I did that _once_, _uhiel_," Ravenlight grumbled, "and he wasn't a lich."

"I knew who it was!" Nevano protested. "Those two didn't stand a chance. I knew the palace. They needed Vel with the Ordinators!"

"No, he was the First Dragonborn trying to slip Hermaeus Mora's control," Drizzt said, briefly ignoring Nevano, "and Serana said that when you came back from fighting him, you looked worse than you did when you came back from Sovngarde with a hole in your shoulder! And I didn't know anything about it until you were finished with him!"

Ravenlight glanced at Nevano wryly. "Which is to say that, even when you're trying to protect them, when you're pretty sure you can handle it, and you don't want them anywhere near what you've got to deal with...your friends will not be happy when you run off and try to get yourself killed on your own."

"It was a lot easier when everyone thought I was dead." Nevano said. "Now I can't scratch my ass without someone getting mad at me!"

"Look at it this way: it means they _care_." Ravenlight stood, pulling him up with her. "So. No running off by yourself, which I strongly suspect I came down to head off." She paused, looked him over, then pulled him in for a quick hug. "At least not until you've met Paarthurnax and Serana. And," she dropped her voice a little, "when Drelasa's not going to get worried about you vanishing, hmm?"

She took his face in her hands and touched her forehead to his. "_Fast nii, dii kul_. I promise: you are not as alone as you think."

"I was going to run because I'm terrified of being close again..." Nevano finally admitted

"It can be...frightening to be close to people," Ravenlight agreed. "Especially when you're afraid you'll lose them. But take it from someone who's been there: it's worse to be alone."

"Eventually I will be. '_Neither blight nor age can harm him_' was real." Nevano sounded...pouty? "I'll outlive everyone combined and then some. If no one runs me through or...I end it myself."

Ravenlight swatted the back of his head. "So will Serana. By this time, I don't think she will get rid of her vampirism. And you want to talk about 'outliving everyone', you want to talk with _Paarthurnax_. Guard yourself-but reach out. Some will brush by without wanting to get involved. But you never know who will catch hold."

Nevano grunted. "Gonna need more sujamma for that. Actually, at this point, I'll go for something orcish."

"I think you'll want to be sober before meeting Paarthurnax, and you _definitely_ don't want to be flying with a headache." She ruffled his hair.

Nevano finally managed a small smile, not flinching from her touch this time.

She smiled at him. "It's still early," she said softly. "Go get some sleep. You won't want to be falling asleep on your face in front of a crowd of dragons, after all-and while I may have to stop at home to get my dragon armor, it won't be long enough for you to really rest before we're on to the Throat of the World."

He nodded slowly.

"Go on," she urged. "We won't leave without you."

Nevano knew he needed to obey before she either dragged him to bed and sat on him or, worse, got Drelasa on his case. So he gave in and, staggering only a little, dragged himself off to the nest he had.

Ravenlight waited to see that he had gone to bed. Then, yawning a little, she and Drizzt went back to the room Drelasa had provided. It was still too early to be up...and they had a long way to go the next morning.

As far as she could remember, she had no more dreams that night.

* * *

**(This won't be the only spoiler-heavy chapter...but it is the first of them. It is also the first in which the plot starts to get going...so those of you who go on with it, I'd love to hear your thoughts!)**


	7. An Impressive Exit

**An Impressive Exit**

The next morning, they were woken up by the mouth-watering smell of whatever Drelasa was making for the promised breakfast. There was little doubt at this point that even if she was given rocks and twigs to work with, Drelasa would still be able to make a full five course meal.

Ravenlight was the first to rise, getting up and pulling on her leather pants and a warm tunic. Flying was a quick way to travel; but to get over the mountains, it would be cold. It occurred to her to wonder if Nevusa had any warm clothing; if not, though, she had some spares that would fit, if not perfectly.

Drelasa smiled warmly at her as she entered the kitchen, sliding a bowl of what looked like normal, boring porridge but smelled sweet over to her. "Eggs and meat will be ready soon. The boys will be more attracted to meat." She started to turn back but stopped. "Oh and...sweet child, _thank you_."

"I'm going to assume you heard, then?" Ravenlight smiled back at her. "You are most welcome."

"I heard the end but I can easily guess how it started." She smiled sadly. "I love Nevano dearly. He struggles greatly with the unfairness that life deals, sometimes in ways even I cannot help with. Many, many times he's come home bleeding from dozens of holes and half a skeleton's worth of broken bones. I can heal that but I can't always heal his mind and heart. You've given him another very good reason to get back up again. For that...I cannot give you enough to show my full appreciation and gratitude."

Ravenlight reached out and took the older woman's hand. "I've been...where he is before. I did not come from a place as dark, but I have been...loose and rootless and wandering, with what felt like no friends and nowhere to go. I would not leave anyone to that. If there is...any way I can keep helping him, I promise you, I will."

"Thank you. Again, thank you." Her eyes shone with heartfelt emotion. "Believe it or not he's only a few years younger than me and I am not as young as I once was. Since Jorun died I have worried what would happen once I was gone. That's one worry I can put at ease now."

"Well, I'm not _young_, but I'm not as old as the legend of the Nerevarine, that's for sure. In fact, I was still a child when they were singing of the Oblivion Crisis. So there should be a few centuries left in me. I'll take care of him for you, when the time comes." She smiled. "And if I can get him to befriend Serana or Paarthurnax...Serana especially...then I can stop worrying, myself."

"When you get the chance, ask him about the Hero of Kvatch." Drelasa turned back to cooking. "He knew her. And as long as they can handle a snarky sense of humor and odd shenanigans, they'll get along fine."

"I'll have to do that." Ravenlight grinned. "And you know, I think a snarky sense of humor and odd shenanigans will be good for Serana. Paarthurnax, I know, will just be glad for someone new to talk to. Not much fazes an old _dovah._"

"Oh gods..." Drelasa groaned. "You broke the ice. I just want you to know once that happens he Does. Not. Stop. Talking."

"I will introduce him to Connlach, then," Ravenlight laughed. "He's almost five now, and when he's not looking for mudcrabs, he's talking. Be interesting to see who lasts longer."

"With a child? He'll keep them entertained all day." Drelasa laughed. "When Modyn was a child, Nevano would tell stories all day long. The child would forget to eat he'd be so enthralled. Not all those stories were even the slightest bit true! He'd make one up on the spot!"

"Not a bad thing in some cases!" Ravenlight smiled, then her smile slipped a little. "To tell you the truth, Connlach's a little bit of a mystery. I went wandering with this," she touched the blue-gemmed pendant around her neck, "and found a world I wasn't familiar with. I stepped through the portal just in time to see some sorcerer kill a woman trying to defend her infant child. I killed the sorcerer and brought the orphan home with me. But I didn't stop to learn anything about his world or where he might have come from. If Nevano can give him some stories, even false ones, about what his history might be...I think we'd both appreciate it."

"Give him a short word detail and let him loose. No long words. He'll just fill in his own meaning then."

"I'll do that." Ravenlight glanced over her shoulder. "And it sounds like the others are coming." She started in on the porridge. "Oh, this is really good."

"Wickwheat with honey and a touch of sweetened comberry juice." Drelasa tossed several slabs of meat over the fire. "Because its a plant, most of my men act like it's poison."

* * *

True to Drelasa's prediction, the others began to show up, dropping travel bags off by the door. Nevusa came running in, wearing leather armor and armed with a long knife and a curved axe

Ravenlight appraised her outfit. "Do you have anything warmer to put on? A cloak or something similar? It gets bitterly cold flying across the mountains."

"Yeah! In my bag." Nevusa said in a rush. "You won't _believe_ what happened last night! So I got to the barracks and Garil was bellowing his little heart out. Nothing unusual there. That's his favorite hobby but Relas looked like the man who slept with his rival's wife and the _Autarch_ looked like he stepped in guar dung!" She was nigh dancing, her eyes sparkling. "They have entire units moving! There's a bunch of Xyr soldiers here and Relas up and stole them. They all left a few hours ago with a whole mess of Ordinators _and_ Shad Astula mages!"

"I'm sure Relas loved that." Drelasa hummed, calmly turning giant kwama eggs in the coals. "He hates the general in Xyr. This might top the time he and the others got to beat the snot out of that arrogant fetcher."

"But you didn't ask for the mages!" Nevusa said.

"No. That is the queen's message to me that she accepted my terms." Drelasa nodded. "Now, stop flailing and finish these eggs for me while I get my own gear."

"Yes, _alma_." Nevusa bounced over and took over, her sunburst eyes glowing.

"Who will you be traveling with?" Ravenlight asked. "Six may be Odahviing's limit. Certainly the limit for how many people will be comfortable on him, I know that."

"Well...I have...a thought." Nevusa turned very serious, looking extraordinarily like Nevano. "It's still a work in progress but I've been working on it and last night I got it to work without leftover...bits."

"I walked in on the wrong end of that..." Veleth slid in, looking a bit harried. "Baby cut two new teeth. Meet a dragon, grow fangs apparently."

"Oh good! I can show with you!" She grinned.

"Umm...noooo..."

"Okay, see, my parents are noble. I grew up being stuffed in dresses- shut _up_ Bull!" She growled. "I wasn't allowed swords. So I stole some spell books. Been practicing ever since. THIS spell can make it so we ALL can travel together! It runs along the theory of transmuting. If a stone's entire property can be changed...so can a living thing! It works on werewolves when they transform, only this isn't a curse! So I finally perfected it!"

Veleth looked highly alarmed. The twins snickered. "Better run, Captain!"

Ravenlight got a slightly alarmed look on her face. "Ahhh...can we test that at a less, ah, time-crucial point? I know the Aurbis is in good shape, but I'm getting flashbacks to the College of Winterhold."

Nevusa grinned wider. "Don't worry. It's safe. I made sure to test it in a contained area. The worst that's happened is having a tail for an hour afterwards. That and Drelasa has enough wards in place here I could put a fire mine under the house and all you'd see is a puff of smoke." She grinned wickedly at Veleth. "Remember that remark you made before you left about the dress?"

Veleth bolted. He had almost made it to the door when Nevusa completed her spell. He yelped as the air around him popped like glass breaking and a quick flash of green light surrounded him…

And a gray cat dropped to the ground.

Nevusa walked over and picked the cat up by the scruff. "He makes a good looking cat..."

"I see." Ravenlight looked at it, still not quite convinced. "Well; that'll be easier to carry, anyway. But remember to leave enough of us human to hold the cats. And remember who it is who has to call the dragon in the first place. Also, Nevusa, don't hold him like that for too long, you're throttling him."

"Just a few of us." Nevusa scratched the wide-eyed cat under the chin. "And there's a reason I'm holding him like this. The mind stays-AH!" She held the feline away as he suddenly became a ball of hissing, scratching fury.

"The same? I guessed."

Nevusa held the growling cat up. "Next time you _dare_ make fun of me when it comes to the abomination that is happening in Necrom with that _dress_, I will turn you into something _FAR_ worse." She dropped him to the ground and, with another pop, Veleth was changed fully back, looking every bit as disgruntled as the cat had been.

"Well. At least it works." Ravenlight still looked unconvinced. "And you might want to keep an eye on those eggs, Nevusa: I can't take over there because I've never cooked kwama eggs before and I don't know how to tell when they're done."

"Whoops!" She bolted over and slid them out. "Oooh perfect!"

Veleth returned to the table, grumbling to himself about how if she turned him into anything again, he was going to chew as many holes in the damn dress as he could.

"Please do!"

"Children, no more magic in the house." Drelasa came back, bringing Nevano with her.

Ravenlight glanced over at him and smiled. "Ready to head over to Skyrim?"

He smiled back as he settled down by her, looking only a little haggard after last night. "I'm already half cat with the eyes, so if there needs to be a volunteer, I'll do it."

"I'll turn the twins too and myself." Nevusa said. "That way, no one has to steal horses all along Skyrim and Drelasa won't have to keep dumping hackle-lo down horse's throats."

"We'll be covered. Arvak and Andahar can each carry two; they shouldn't notice the cats." Ravenlight smiled. "And, of course, there's the way we'll be crossing into Skyrim itself. Four people and the same number of cats might be odd, but it won't be too much for him."

"I was going to turn the twins into toads..." Nevusa said. Immediately the snickering from the twins was silenced in horror. Nevusa winked at Ravenlight.

"Better not. It would take skin contact to keep toads from freezing." Ravenlight considered. "Rabbits might be better."

"I'd say mice but..."

"Hell. No." Nevano said flatly.

"Bunnies it is!" Nevusa helped Drelasa pass breakfast out to everyone. "Too bad scribs don't do well in cold."

"And you two behave, or I'll put you both in a sack," Ravenlight told them flatly. "A dragon's back half a mile above the ground is no place to be panicking or testing how fast you can suddenly run."

"Perhaps a cat would be the best way to go." Drelasa held up a bag. "They can ride in here. Need to keep those two together anyway."

"Either way. We'll have to do some carrying." Ravenlight accepted an egg and some still-sizzling strips of meat. "Where would the best place to call Odahviing be? We landed outside the city because I didn't want to cause a panic. But leaving it, it might be best to let folk see what's happening."

"Depends on how big a stir you want to have." Veleth said.

"Well, you can hear a Shout from a long ways away, and then having the dragon come shortly after...it might be easier for them to see that it's answering to someone. Certainly is that way in Skyrim; but then, Skyrim's had to deal with them coming back and not being friendly."

Veleth got a decidedly wicked look on his face. "Rootspire."

Nevano coughed. "Well...talk about leaving an impression!"

Ravenlight and Drizzt exchanged glances, then shrugged. "No worse than calling him to Dragonsreach back in Whiterun, the first time. And this time, at least, there won't be a trap waiting for him."

You really don't like the royal family, do you?" Nevusa asked.

"Felsi is a puppet a best, a harmless snake at worst." Veleth shrugged. "Her mother Morgiah? She's a viper. Let Odahviing show off a bit. It'll pull that old hag's fangs a bit."

"I might need something a little more impressive than this," Ravenlight mused, looking down at her travel clothes. "Found it's best to look a little less like a wandering vagrant when putting on a bit of a show. Anything you could advise that would be sturdy and warm enough to travel in, but still capable of catching the eye?"

"It'll also silence the councilors." Drelasa nodded. She stood and went over to Lady, who whined. "No, my darling, not this time. A dragon's back is no place for a hound, no matter how brave." She scratched Lady's tiny ears and tied a scroll to her collar, where it promptly disappeared amidst the cascade of wrinkles. "Go see your Aunt Cruivah. I know she allows you to sleep on the bed with her, no matter how much she denies it."

The enormous dog woofed and trotted out the door.

"As to something that will catch the eye..." Drelasa tapped a finger to her lips. "Well, you _are_ trying to catch the attention of Dunmer..."

"Remember what I said about doing things as part of an act as a form of manipulation?" Nevano asked.

"As long as it isn't stupidly slinky or have _spider_ ornaments over most of it, I probably won't mind." Drizzt snickered, and she glared at him. "_Eltian uhiel_, if you know what's good for you, you will shut up _now_."

"Unfortunately, our race has a thing for the more powerful you are, the more you either bury yourself in robes or go around with just the important bits covered." Nevano said bluntly. "Such is life in the shadow of a fecking volcano. I mean, shite, look at Almalexia, Vivec and Sotha Sil. Mostly naked, mostly naked, robes. Slightly traumatizing really. I refuse to dress you up as Almalexia because Nerevar might cause us both to go completely insane. He _hates_ his ex-wife with a burning passion. Since spiders are out...Boethiah or Azura?"

"Azura," Ravenlight answered firmly. "Especially since I can wear something under it, and it will be a little warmer."

"Probably best that way...only one of us has the black spiky armor Boethiah loves and he's the only one who can wear that." Nevano thumbed at Veleth and the Ebony Mail. "Alright. Give me half an hour. Pack up, get ready to go, get the twins turned into cats and Nevusa into whatever animal she wants to be and I'll be back with your costume."

Before anyone could protest, he was up and gone.

Ravenlight looked over at Drizzt. "If he's not back in _exactly_ half an hour, have Guen go look for him. In fact..." They exchanged a long look, and he nodded.

"If we're going for impressive, she certainly fits the bill."

"You have mentioned this name more than once." Drelasa raised an eyebrow.

Drizzt pulled out the onyx figurine. "She's well-behaved...but she's also quite large, so I'll wait to call her until we're outside."

"A summon?"

He nodded. "A great black panther. She's an astral creature, and has been with me longer than anyone else I know."

"A very good companion indeed."

"You have no idea." He smiled fondly. Then his eyes glinted wickedly. "She also has a fondness for lying down on people. I might use that on Nevano if he gets too much to handle."

Veleth coughed, nearly choking on his mouthful as he tried to not laugh. Drelasa laughed as well. "Too bad Lady has already left. She'd happily show your friend the best points where to pin him down! He makes a wonderful bed apparently!"

Ravenlight laughed. "She'll do that to everyone but me-and the only reason she doesn't jump on me is because I immediately put my elbows in her ribs whenever she does!"

Drelasa grinned a little too wickedly for most in the room to be fully comfortable. Apparently, the thought was too good for her to pass up.

* * *

True to his word, Nevano returned quickly, completely unaware he disappointed more than one person with his being punctual for once. "Just do me a favor, don't ask where I got these, ok?"

"Let's see what they are. And would I need to worry about eventually returning them?" Ravenlight stood.

"Probably not," Nevano said vaguely. He took out what seemed to be a single wide strip of cloth cleverly wound to form something that resembled a dress. It was both revealing and modest, constricting and free-moving all at once. The cloth itself couldn't seem to make up its mind what color it wanted to be. It started off a dark blue like the ocean and shimmered to the blue of the twilight sky when the material was shifted. Fur lined the inside of the dress, allowing its wearer to remain warm no matter the weather. Going along with the dress, Nevano had managed to procure a silver belt decorated with midnight blue stones, silver chains with Azura's signature moon and star hanging from them. To top it off, he had dug up an elaborate silver necklace with matching arm clasps, the silver metal winding around like that of a climbing rose. The whole outfit smelled vaguely of roses.

"Azura indeed." Ravenlight wasn't sure whether she admired it, or was more worried about what would happen to it once she climbed up behind the horns of a dragon. "That will make an impression an impression, all right." She looked over at Drelasa. "You're probably better at this than me. Want to come back into a private room and see what you can do with me?"

Drelasa nodded. "This way, sweet child. Time to make even Azura's priests jealous...though I daresay that is among the many points she has made here."

Veleth waited until they left the room. "Well, the good news is that if anyone gets lecherous with her over that outfit...Azura herself might have something to say."

Drizzt grunted. "That's if _she_ doesn't get them first. I'll...try to remember to just glare, myself...but to put it simply, propositioning the Dragonborn is a _very_ bad idea."

"With the cat, I can't think of a single...oh wait, I can think of a few...but they'll be passed out in the gutter like the good little drunks they are." Veleth said. "The rest will be shocked into silence."

In about another half-hour, they returned, Drelasa first, and looking very pleased with herself. Ravenlight followed, and even Drizzt was stunned. Drelasa had done a marvelous job. The dress in no way impeded her movements, rippling around her lithe form like a flow of water, both concealing and revealing feminine curves and warrior's muscle. The arm wraps, in particular, showcased a swordswoman's corded arms; the belt accentuated her slender waist, and the necklace did the same for her neck and chest. She'd been made up as well, not heavily, but enough to showcase her triangular face, accent her lips, and make her amber eyes all the more noticeable.

The twins stared, both obviously really, _really_ wanted to say something but, valuing their lives more, kept their mouths snapped shut. Nevano was enormously pleased. "Now this is how you bring a city to its knees."

"Better than some ways I can think of." Ravenlight held her arms out, apparently not sure whether she felt silly, or pleased. "All right then: let's head up to the Rootspire. And should we walk..." She glanced over at Drizzt, "Or ride?"

"You ride. We walk." Veleth grinned. "They'll think you are an avatar of Azura herself."

"And yes, Andahar will be more appropriate for you in this case." Drizzt grinned. In spite of himself, he too was vastly enjoying this. "Once we get outside, I'll call them both."

"And don't worry about anyone doing anything stupid." Veleth said. "I still run the guard around here, no matter what I'm doing myself. No one will want to cool their heels in our nasty prison cells until I get back."

"With Guenhwyvar, Andahar, and the rest of you," Ravenlight smiled, "I think I can safely say I'm not all that worried."

Nevusa turned to Drizzt. "Your turn!"

He looked briefly started. "Wait-what?"

Ravenlight laughed. "Good idea, actually." She grinned at him. "Get you dressed up, too. Probably best if we _all_ looked our most impressive."

"Don't look to those boys! They don't know shite!" Nevusa dragged Drizzt off.

"I...think I owe him for starting something." Nevano said, though he couldn't stop the grin

"Starting what?" Ravenlight glanced at him, eyebrow arched. "And I think someone should tell or at least remind Nevusa that my brother is _married_."

"Not like she can really claim him as her own anyway." Veleth said. Nevano grunted in annoyance. "She's technically betrothed...if they can get her to show up to the wedding."

"I kind of get the impression that unless it was her idea, she's not going to be...all that interested in it."

"She's already missed the first two. It's why she's hanging out in Blacklight." Veleth said. "She's from Necrom, on the complete opposite side of Morrowind. But no one can send guards, Necrom or private hire, into _my_ city because I'll throw them out on their face. She's exploiting that. That was the dress incident she got on my ass about. She went home, got shoved into it, got away before she was shoved into the temple, stole a horse and burst into my office a week later, screaming at me that I needed to do something about it? The only thing I really did was stop Nevano from doing something...drastic."

"At this point, one of them might need to get the hint." Ravenlight looked away slightly. "Though I can't...sympathize with her on that. I wanted my wedding. I just...thanks to the Thalmor and their blasted purges, I didn't get it."

"They won't. This isn't a marriage, it's a business transaction." Nevano grunted. "Nobles buy and sell marriages like most people do livestock. You were marrying someone you loved and the damned Thalmor stole it from you and they need to burn in the lowest pits of Oblivion for that. Nevusa is being shoved into a bargain with someone she's never met to seal a deal for her family and that is just as wrong. You both deserve a wedding but only one the one that you want."

"If I knew how to help her, I would." Ravenlight carefully sank into a nearby chair. "Though...if she finds someone she likes in Skyrim, I suppose I could mention that the Temple of Mara is favorable to elopements."

A sound caught their attention, and they all looked up. Ravenlight's eyes widened. "My _goodness_. It's almost a good thing Cattie-Brie's not here!"

Nevusa looked very pleased. "See? For once, being from a place that demands good grooming comes in handy."

Drizzt looked the same blend of sheepish and pleased that Ravenlight had when she came out. He was wearing the same trousers, but had on a new tunic, tight enough to subtly display every line of his chiseled torso; a lighter gray than his skin, with an almost oiled sheen. The cloak she'd draped around him matched the darkest shade of Ravenlight's dress, setting off both the gray of the tunic and the gleaming jet-black of his exposed arms and neck. Silver armbands wrapped around his upper arms, and a thin chain glinted around his neck. She'd ferociously combed his thick white hair: it flowed down to the bottom of his shoulder blades like fresh snow on the side of a mountain.

"Now, stop stuttering that you are married. I get that." Nevusa laughed. "Remember, play the part. She will have every male slavering at her feet. You will have all the women forgetting all the males exist."

"She's not wrong," Ravenlight muttered. She stood and carefully brushed her hair back. "All right then. Let's go."

"Come on twins...kitty time!" Nevusa snapped her fingers before they could groan and perfectly identical cats popped in their place. "That's getting easier."

* * *

Ravenlight and Drizzt stepped out into the street, followed by the others. There were a couple more pops from behind them, and a second pair of cats trotted out, these with nearly identical fire-golden eyes. Veleth followed, holding the sack with the two grumbling cats inside, and then Drelasa came as well, closing the door firmly behind her and locking it. Drizzt blew on his whistle first, then pulled out the onyx figurine.

"Come, Guenhwyvar!"

Ravenlight held up her hand, calling magic into it. When she released it, Arvak appeared, ready for what would be asked. Drizzt waited until Andahar came, and helped Ravenlight mount-her dress was not exactly designed for that-before swinging up onto Arvak's back.

The massive panther, who'd appeared out of a dark mist, prowled around them to find her own spot.

"You were not joking about your magnificent friend." Drelasa smiled. "Though I am already amused thinking about the priests furiously trying to theorize how the cats connect to all this."

"Let them theorize." Ravenlight rearranged her slightly ruffled dress, then sat straight. "All right. One of you guide us in the direction of the Rootspire, and we'll be off."

"Straight on. See what looks like a giant mushroom tower rising up?" Veleth pointed directly east. "That."

"Make things easier." Ravenlight signaled Andahar to set off. "Let's go."

* * *

It did not take long at all to start attracting attention. Most Dunmer could only stare, whatever errand they had been on completely forgotten the moment they went by. Even the busy market row parted like cut wheat before them. Only children, of which there were depressingly few, were bold enough to run up, though most, especially the girls, were attracted to Guenhwyvar. The guards they passed inclined their heads, most seemed incredibly amused. Apparently, the strange and the amazing were not so uncommon in their barracks.

Ravenlight fought to keep her face in the serene expression she'd schooled it in as they started out. It wasn't easy. Watching the expressions of those around her reminded her of the first times she'd kill a dragon in any town. And Nevusa had been correct: the men and the women were almost gaping at her and Drizzt, to the point that spouses were forgetting to correct each other on the gaping.

She did think that the perfume of roses that started to float around the group was more than a little ostentatious on Azura's part, however.

There was a noise from one of the smaller cats that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

News had evidently gone ahead of them as they began to make their way closer to the Rootspire: folk had obviously come out to see what all the commotion was about. A few stares were decidedly less than friendly. A few in particular, mostly aimed at Veleth, stood out. Veleth ignored them...though a smirk made its way across his when there was a sudden hiss and a yelp and a dark streak with gold eyes darted across the street.

Ravenlight met each stare coolly. There was no real _menace_ in her gaze. Still, those who appeared hostile at first seemed to decide the virtue of not pressing the issue after a few seconds of that. Those who had the misfortune of glaring and then meeting Drizzt's gaze, on the other hand, turned decidedly pale, and quickly moved away. Though it was doubtful anyone would have pressed the issue anyway: not with Guenhwyvar prowling in front of the two mounts.

Normally it would take nearly an hour to get through the crowds to Rootspire. Today, with the crowds parting for them, it only took half the time.

Though the Rootspire itself was ancient, its trunk solidified as hard as stone, the square in front seemed to have undergone renovations fairly recently. New banners flew and the statues seemed new as well. It was, they heard Veleth mutter, a direct reflection of the asses that sat all comfy inside Rootspire. The guards that stood at attention around the square were obviously not ones under Veleth's command. Their eyes darted towards them but they did not move otherwise. Many people gathered to watch, some openly curious, others looking fearfully towards the stronghold.

"Seems some think this is yet another overturn." Veleth muttered only for them to hear. "Not surprising, given what happened when Morgiah stormed back in with her brood and took over. Doubt we will see any of them, but they are definitely watching. Go ahead and call Odahviing."

Ravenlight dismounted and strode forward to the most open part of the square. She lifted her hand up, made sure no one was directly in front of her to be harmed by the sound, and Shouted.

"_O DAH VIING!_"

For a few minutes, there was nothing. Then a roar sounded, a shadow flashed across the city, and the great dragon wheeled overhead, looking for a good place to land. Thankfully, Ravenlight had directed him to a good place, and he wheeled into position, his wings creating downbursts that tore at the banners, before landing directly in front of her.

Just about every Dunmer leaped out of their skin at the Shout. Even the guards twitched a little, a few narrowing their eyes in suspicion...but it was nothing in comparison to how badly they jumped when the massive dragon landed in front of them. Veleth couldn't help but laugh. This was a chaos that Boethiah was drooling over and he couldn't help but share in that mirth. Drelasa, for her part, took in the _dovah_ with sharp eyes but a very calm demeanor. Once the initial furor died down, the whisperings blazed up like a wildfire. No doubt, before the sun even reached its zenith, the story would have reached every corner of the city and be well on its way to the other towns and cities of Morrowind.

"So, _Dovahkiin!_" Odahviing rumbled, obviously feeling fit and frisky after his rest, "We continue on this day? Where to?"

Behind her, Drizzt dismissed Guenhwyvar and Andahar, and Arvak vanished back to the Soul Cairn in a blur of purple-black.

"We continue, my _grah-zeymaziin_," Ravenlight answered, her own voice carrying easily across the square, and no doubt further. "Skyrim awaits!"

"Mount, then, all you bring with you." He lowered his head to allow her to mount more easily, despite the dress. "It is a good day for flight!"

Veleth helped them up, quickly passing up a few cats before getting on himself, making sure his twin cats were secure. "Best. Day. Ever." He murmured.

Odahviing waited just long enough to make sure everyone was settled, even the cats, before bellowing and hurling himself up into the sky. Ravenlight wrapped her cloak around her as tightly as she could manage as he wheeled, banked, and shot off to the north.

* * *

**(Annd they're heading back to Skyrim, where shenanigans await! As always, I love to hear from you guys. Please review, let me know what you think!)**


	8. Windstad Manor

**Windstad Manor**

They climbed swiftly, the city soon only a blur on the horizon behind them. As the winds grew stiffer, one of the cats crawled carefully to Ravenlight, leaning against her heavily, offering a bit of protection against the wind despite being stiff with anxiety. She reached back and pulled the cat into her lap, holding it securely. She couldn't tell immediately whether it was Nevano or Nevusa; there was a way to check, but she wasn't going to humiliate whoever it was like that.

The fur on the cats back didn't lie perfectly flat. Upon closer inspection, the cat's entire back was a mess of scars. She remembered immediately what he had told her: _I was beaten within an inch of my life. They even cut my feet._ She held him a little closer; and almost instinctively, began to stroke the scarred back with a hand that shimmered gold.

Perhaps it was long after the fact. But she would still offer what healing might scars were very old, the damage done, but he appreciated it. He gently patted her with a paw before settling down a bit, making sure to be a kitty windshield as much as possible. After all, he got the outfit for her. She had to admit: she certainly appreciated how warm he was, especially as the mountains rose in front of them.

* * *

Odahviing rose a little higher to avoid the other peaks, and the air grew even colder. He half-glanced at her as they crossed over into Skyrim itself.

"Where to, _Dovahkiin?_ The _Monahven?_"

"The _Monahven_ second," she called back, fighting to pitch her voice over the rush of the wind. "Windstad Manor first. I need my armor. And...to see my children."

"Understood!"

He tilted slightly, dropped a little lower in altitude, and snapped his wings down again, heading in a beeline for the marshlands of Haafingar Hold, and the house that stood looking out over the bay to Solitude.

Nevusa in cat form had no fear being way up high on a dragon. She crawled all over Drizzt and Veleth, leaning over as far as she could to see the landscape below, until one of the mer groaned and pulled her back. She meowed excitedly at landmarks below, thrilled to death at being outside Morrowind for the first time. Stark contrast to her biological father, who stayed stiff with his head buried.

* * *

In about two hours, they'd arrived over the bay. Odahviing whirled and found a safe landing spot, dropping heavily to the ground. Ravenlight and Drizzt both stiffened at the smell of smoke rising more heavily than it should-though the house appeared undamaged from the outside. Ravenlight scrambled down almost before Odahviing lowered his head enough to land easily. She almost dropped Nevano, but managed to hang onto him until she was all the way down, then let him down without dropping him. She snatched up the hem of her dress and ran for the door, calling out.

"Blaise? Lucia? Connlach?"

There were a few small pops as the cats turned back into Dunmer, quickly followed by the slide of metal against leather. Every Dunmer held their breath, tense and anxious.

Then the door opened, and three figures came running out: two about thirteen and fourteen, one a small, black-haired imp of about five. Ravenlight exhaled, suddenly weak with relief, and knelt down, holding her arms out to them. "Thank the Divines, you're safe!"

"Mama!" They ran to her, babbling with excitement. Much of their talk seemed to center around the little boy, who was clinging frantically to her waist-though the girl leaned back a little to get a good look at her, and then cried, "Mama, you look _pretty!_"

All the Dunmer relaxed, weapons disappearing like magic. Danger was one thing but kids in danger would have resulted in everything in the vicinity dying a horrible death.

A moment later, someone else came out of the house: a Nord woman, tall and graceful: and if she hadn't been a Nord-and had glowing orange eyes-she would have looked astonishingly like Ravenlight. "You're back. That was quicker than I thought." She frowned. "Is everything all right, or..."

"Tell you when the kids aren't here to listen." Ravenlight jerked her head back at the gathered Dunmer. "At the moment, I'll just say your instincts were spot-on."

"Speaking of the kids..." Drizzt came forward, and at the sound of his voice, the little black-haired boy detached himself from Ravenlight and all but flung himself at the Drow. Drizzt was apparently used to this, and caught him up instantly. "Did something happen? We all smelled smoke when we arrived."

"Thalmor band," Serana answered. "I think they were looking for hostages, not just to wreak havoc...but when they grabbed him, Conn panicked, and, well...apparently, he's not waiting for formal training to use magic, unless you've taught him to read already. He unleashed a blast of flame that nearly caught the rafters on fire, certainly startled the Thalmor enough for Blaise to get hold of your staffs, and Lucia to reach your scrolls. Once I could get in without danger, I helped run them off."

Connlach looked up from nuzzling against his uncle to peek around at the new faces surrounding him. He was fairly small; and while his messy black hair looked similar to Ravenlight's, his bright green eyes didn't.

"I got scared," he mumbled sheepishly.

"True, but it sounds like you scared them even more." Nevano nodded in solemn seriousness. "And you weren't so scared you didn't defend yourself."

"I dunno what I _did_, though." He blinked rapidly. "I just...it just _happened._"

"We'll worry about what happened and why later." Ravenlight went over and stroked his head. "For now, I'm just glad you're all safe." She looked at the others and beckoned. "All of you, come in and warm up. We can't stay for too long, but it'll be enough to get the chill out of your bones from flying across Skyrim." She turned back to the dragon. "Odahviing, don't go too far off. I'll need you to take me to the _Monahven_ in about an hour."

Veleth knocked both twins heads with a muttered "Stop staring," before following.

Only Nevano heard them mutter, disjointedly, about how all the gorgeous women were the most deadly. He had to agree, privately. But it wasn't a bad agreement.

* * *

Once past the first part of the house, a cozy little one-room cottage, the manor opened up into a spacious living area. Warmth spilled from the kitchen to the right, and from the large stone fireplace near the center of the main room. A man, larger than Serana, and sporting an impressive mustache, stood up from the table and bowed as Ravenlight came in.

"Welcome home, my Thane." He paused then, taking in her garb with a raised eyebrow. "Dare I ask..."

"Impressing some folk in Morrowind." Ravenlight huffed out a little laugh. "I'll explain later. Are you all right? Serana told me about the Thalmor."

"I don't remember all of it." He gestured towards his bald forehead, and a visible new scar across the top of it. "One of those milk-drinking knife-ears hit me across the head right when they came in. When I came to, Connlach was huddled under the table crying, Blaise was holding two of your staffs-one was the Wabbajack, I'm afraid-and Lucia was trying to put out the fire in the rafters with a few of your Blizzard scrolls. Serana was the one who noticed me, and was patching me up with a healing ointment."

Ravenlight turned a beady eye on Blaise. "The Wabbajack? Really?"

There were several snickers from the younger Dunmer, Nevano showing his approval with a good laugh. "At some point, you are sharing the story about how you came to own that!"

Drelasa shook her head. So many artifacts in one place.

"_I_ actually got it after agreeing to help a madman in the streets of Solitude," Drizzt admitted, "and there have been many times when I wished I'd asked a little more about Sheogorath before heading into the Pelagius wing in the Blue Palace. Ravenlight's kept it for me to try to keep it safe."

"No small emphasis on 'try'," Ravenlight muttered, going over to the fireplace. "This time, I hope, the other one _wasn't_ the Sanguine Rose?"

"No. I couldn't get to that one." Blaise paused. "Um..."

"Sanguine Rose too?" By now the younger mer really were laughing.

Drizzt snorted with laughter, prompting a remarkably deadly evil eye thrown in his direction.

"Drizzt," Ravenlight said warningly, "_don't you dare_."

"Oh it's a good one!" Nevano sounded far too gleeful.

"It is, but I'm not going to say anything." He was still laughing. "I did promise. And she's got something else to hold over me, too, so I will _keep_ that promise."

"Blaise, if there is a next time, which I sincerely hope there won't be, use the Atronach staffs." Ravenlight sighed and straightened. "All right, I need to get into my dragon armor. Nevano, what should I do with this?"

"Keep it." Nevano grinned. "It's a gift. Use the next time you need to knock a group of humorless Dunmer down a peg or six."

"Hopefully not too soon." She looked down at it. "Though with the way the world is going now... Anyway." She gestured. "I keep the pantry and the kitchen _well_ stocked. Feel free to help yourselves to anything you might find in there." She hitched up the hem of the dress enough to keep from stepping on it, and headed up the stairs to the second story, vanishing behind a wall in a few seconds.

Drelasa gave them all a look. Uh uh. None of these soldiers were going to _dare_.

* * *

Serana regarded the interaction with curiosity. "Pardon me," she said, her voice still holding the faint traces of a very old accent, "but...who are you all? I know why Ravenlight's in a hurry, especially if she's after the dragon armor, _and_ after discovering her children were in danger from the Thalmor. But..I don't know any of you but Drizzt."

"Oh! Excuse my lack of manners!" Drelasa snapped her fingers. Though not directed at any of them, all the younger ones snapped to attention. "Ravenlight and Drizzt met up with my son and _daesohn bahr molkuhn_. We are here to help with all this." She went down the line introducing all of her adopted family.

Serana smiled, her teeth showing no hint of her vampiric nature. "I'm Serana Volkihar, of the Dawnguard, and a long-time friend of Drizzt and Ravenlight. It's good to meet you."

"Oh you're the dear Ravenlight was talking about." Drelasa smiled warmly. Vampire or not, a friend of her family was a friend until noted otherwise.

"I suppose I am." Serana smiled back at her, then paused. "It's...bad, isn't it? The whole situation. Ravenlight doesn't use the dragon armor unless she's got to fight something horrible-or going to speak with other dragons."

"'Bad' is what I use to describe having to deal with a councillor with a grievance for a day." Veleth said dryly. "This is a few steps beyond that. I'd much rather deliberately make my mother mad. I'll live longer."

"I was afraid of that." Serana sank down, hugging herself. "The call's been getting… stronger. I can ignore it, but others won't. And I don't know if it's just vampires that can hear it." She looked over at Drizzt. "The Dawnguard's been stretched thin, trying to head off as many vampires heading to the border as they can. We haven't lost too many yet, thankfully, but...it's like trying to stop up a sieve with a few pieces of cloth. There's just not enough of us to stop up the holes."

Drelasa went over to her and sat next to her. "Darling, we will do all we can to stop this. We aren't sitting idly by. Several large forces are already on the move and we will get more. In this case, I won't let the world toss just a few individuals in on the hope they will solve it all. I'm considering asking for a stop in a small village where I have an orc contact and see if we can't have a few orc tribes help as well. It may not be enough to stop all the holes but we are most certainly going to try."

The twins were not listening. They were looking back towards the door, shifting in unison.

"More than just vampires.." one said.

"It's looking." The other finished.

"We can track it." They looked back at Veleth. He nodded and they darted out.

"How did it track us so fast?" Nevano asked.

Veleth said nothing but glanced at the children, the clawed armor on his hands digging into his skin as he made a fist. Molag Bal wasn't entirely stupid. He'd attack at their vulnerable points. His father's shrine, now Ravenlight's home where her children were. He thought of Dusty and his eyes glowed. Ravenlight would have a new daedric trophy before too long. Hopefully the children wouldn't be too frightened of a head mounted on a tree stump.

Drizzt seemed to sense something himself: he went rigid, then put down Connlach, ignoring the little boy's protests. He pulled out the figurine. "Guenhwyvar, come!"

At once, she appeared, coalescing out of mist. Lucia and Blaise instantly started forward, then paused as they looked over at him. He nodded. "Guen, watch the door. Don't let anything in." He ran into the small cottage area, opening the chest that sat against the wall, and switching out his fancy tunic for a heavier one of blue wool stitched with metal plates. He buckled his scimitars on over it and ran outside after the twins, drawing both weapons before the door had closed behind him.

* * *

A moment later, steps came across the ceiling, and down the stairs. Where before she'd moved almost silently, this time she was audible-but as she came down the stairs and turned to face those in the room, they saw why. She wasn't in her light, form-fitting glass armor that wrapped around her almost like a second skin. She was wearing her dragon armor, and it was doubtful any of them had accurately guessed what that was.

This was not the decorative Imperial dragon armor sometimes sported by Legates or other high members of the Imperial Legion. This was armor made from the skin and scales of actual dragons. Large, heavy scales protected chest, torso, and back, and overlapped around the sides of the hips. Smaller scales formed greaves and bracers; two large, fairly spiky scales covered her shoulders. She carried the horned helmet in one hand, and wore a bow and quiver on her back, and a sword, obviously also made from dragonbone, rode at her hip.

The dress and jewelry had made her look powerful, otherworldly, and very beautiful. This made her look intimidating, and unbelievably strong.

Nevano whistled. "Now _that _is some armor."

Veleth grunted with a small twitch. "I think...I think you made the Ebony Mail a little jealous. OW! _Vith!_ Stop it!"

"It's not as easy to move in as my glass armor." She shifted a shoulder. "But when you're dealing with dragons, it certainly gets their attention." She looked them over. "I couldn't hear clearly. What's going on outside?"

"Twins sensed trouble." Veleth said

"And so did my brother, it would appear." She glanced over them. "He put down Connlach and left Guen in here. What kind of trouble, and might they need help with it?"

"More than likely the same sort we had at my father's shrine." Veleth growled. "The twins won't need help. They are merely tracking. If they do, they have lots of help at their disposal."

"Truth to that." Ravenlight frowned. "I need to go to the Throat of the World...but I don't want to do that while one of those _things_ might be in the area and watching my children."

"It won't even get to smell them." Veleth growled darkly

"Good." She fingered the hilt of her sword, eyes turned toward the door.

"Dunmer are a lot things. Granted not all good." Nevano assured her. "But there are children here. Very, _very,_ bad move on its part. We don't tolerate that."

* * *

A few moments later, the door opened, and Drizzt came in, spattered with blood and sporting a few new rips in his Dawnguard tunic-but he was wiping his blades, and had a look of grim satisfaction on his face. "They found it," he reported, sheathing his scimitars, "and we killed it. Uglier this time around, and a little stronger, but not by too much."

Veleth tilted his head. "Hear those whispers?" He asked.

Ravenlight moved closer to the children, looking around. Serana, however, rose, her eyes flashing almost golden. "Yes," she hissed. "I can."

"Easy. Not vampire." Veleth said. "Dunmer ancestors. They are convinced it's done." He strode over and picked up his red and black sword. "Go get the dragons. We'll clean up here." His eyes flashed red and he went out.

Ravenlight nodded and stopped to hug each child-not too closely, considering her armor. "Behave yourselves," she said. "I'll be back." She gripped Serana's shoulder for a moment, then strode outside. Drizzt stopped Nevusa before she could follow.

"Better not," he said. "A convocation of dragons is...well, it's more than impressive, I'll say that. Imagine over two dozen Odahviings gathered around the peak of the mountain-and some of them are close to his equal-and...well. You don't want to show any weakness in front of them." He shivered a little. "Ravenlight can do it. She's earned the ability. I can do it-but I don't like it. This is one of the few cases where I'm happy to just trust in her."

A few moments later, they heard the _whoosh_ of wings, and a roar as Odahviing launched off again.

"In the meantime, there are a lot of those that can be thrown at us. 'Vusa, lets go." Nevano picked up his weapons. "'Lasa will stay here. Magic fortress."

"I'll go out with you, too." Serana pulled on a long, dark cloak, and pulled the hood up over her head. "I'm not as strong in the sunlight-but I'm strong enough. Drizzt?"

He nodded. "I'll get into some better armor and head out, too. If there's more than just that one out there, every fighter will be needed." He glanced back at Drelasa. "You'll be all right in here?"

Drelasa smiled. "Of course, darling. Go on. I'll see if I can't get lunch for everyone." She looked towards the children with a kind smile. "Is there anything you little ones like for lunch?"

"Mud crab legs?" Connlach peeked up at her shyly.

"I think we can make something with that." She nodded. "Would you like to help me? I'm not sure where everything is. This old woman would love your strong help."

"I can show you around the kitchen," Lucia volunteered. "I like to help Mama when she's here, and she taught me to cook so I can make food for the others when she's not here." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not that good yet. But I don't burn everything now."

"Oh I would love to see what you know. Always wonderful to learn from someone else." Drelasa said. "You show me something new, I'll show you a few new things too. And don't worry, you are already miles ahead of my grown son. He's actually forbidden to try..."


	9. A Convocation of Dragons

**A Convocation of Dragons**

The wind whistled past Ravenlight's ears, getting colder and thinner as they rose toward the massive spire of the Throat of the World. She could see Paarthurnax sunning himself on the broken remains of the old Dragon Wall, and saw when he lifted his head and looked toward them. Odahviing landed a few moments later, lowering his head to let her dismount. Paarthurnax bowed his head to her.

"_Drem Yol Lok, Dovahkiin_. What brings you to my _strunmah_ today?"

"_Drem Yol Lok, Paarthurnax._" She bowed to him, then straightened. "The hope of heading off an impending disaster. I plan to tell you-but I hope to rally the _dov_ against this as well. I truly believe it threatens more than merely _joor_."

"Hmmm." He considered. "I do not know if they will listen...but if we do not try, we cannot know. Call them; and we shall see."

Ravenlight nodded and inhaled deeply. Then she Shouted.

"_Dov do Keizaal! Zu'u bel hi wah lahvraan ahst fin Monahven!_"

She felt them take notice: some disdainful, some alarmed, others curious...and some, a few, eager to answer the call. And she knew when, all across Skyrim, from hills and mountains from the Reach to the Rift, Winterhold to Falkreath, wings suddenly caught the air, and dozens of dragons took flight: all of them coming toward the Throat of the World. She took a deep breath, then took her place.

* * *

Far below, Veleth walked out into what initially seemed like typical marsh mist; but there was a tinge of green to it. This was not swamp mist. It was of the dead.

Sure enough, as the manor disappeared from sight, a figure flashed by him, creeping as if stalking. Entirely transparent but in the shape of a young girl. He recognized her. The ancestor spirit of the twin's younger sister. She never came alone though. Veleth narrowed his eyes, feeling his sword warm in his hands. The whole tribe had come through.

Something big was coming.

Nevano heard a distant roar and looked up to see a dragon flying hard and fast southeast. '_Good.'_ he thought. Even if a few came...it'd make things easier.

He put his attention back on the ground. Akatosh might be busy elsewhere, but Molag Bal had his attention here. In the middle of the day, any power he'd get from Azura would be weak. He realized Molag Bal knew that. He also realized Molag Bal was going to throw something big and nasty at them while Ravenlight was away and they were split up. The whispers of the ancestors swirled around them, some pointing the way. There were a _lot_ of them. That was never good.

"Should have learned to turn myself into a dragon..." Nevusa ran through the mists, guided by an ancestor, Nevusa, Drizzt and Serana in his wake. There was an oppressive feel in the air. It was so heavy. Like it was pushing him face first into the dirt. The ancestors were nervous for them.

The sky crackled red overhead and the air turned hot. A stench like rotting flesh and spilled blood filled Nevano's nostrils, making him gag and heave at its suddenness.

"You didn't say it was this bad!" Nevusa protested.

"No, but this one is." Nevano said. Then he heard shouting. The familiar bull bellow of a warrior who turned into Hell itself when enraged. "Shit, Veleth!"

He ran as fast as he could, fear not for himself making his heart pound. For following that yell had come a roar of something enormous, dangerous and not a dragon.

* * *

They came: lesser dragons and Blood, Frost and Elder, Revered and Ancient, even a few of the fearsome Legendary, wings creating a sound like thunder. They circled the mountain, the older, stronger dragons finding perches on the rock and snow, the younger ones circling on the winds that constantly swirled around the immense, icy peak. One and all looked to her where she stood by the Time-Wound, with Odahviing at her right and Paarthurnax on her left. One and all waited to hear what she would say.

There was no guarantee they would agree. But here, at least, on the Throat of the World, they would listen, and even those who resented having a _joore_ as Queen would not attempt to fight.

She lifted her hand in greeting, as regally as she knew how to be. "_Drem Yol Lok_," she rumbled in greeting. "I have called you to speak of an abominable evil now awake in the world: a poison of Molag Bal, whose touch corrupts even the earth it rests upon. A relic of his wakens, a relic connected with his first creature, the first of the _dinoklir_, the vampires."

There was a brief stir. Nothing like what would happen when she had to make the same speech before Titus Mede II and his court, but that there was a stir at all was heartening. It seemed that dragons did not like Molag Bal and his creatures.

"The relic and the creature who wears it have been calling into the _hahnu_, both of foolish _joorre_ who could be tempted to find it, and to the _dinoklir_, who have come in force to claim it once it is found. If they succeed, the result will be a blighted, poisonous, dark world, with nothing of Kyne or Akatosh remaining: nothing good, or pure, or fair, but rather a living copy of Coldharbour." She turned, looking at all of them. "It will be no world fit for any living creature, _dov_ or _joorre._"

"You would have us fight alongside _joorre_?" An Ancient dragon shifted in place, leaning forward.

Ravenlight turned and met his gaze levelly. "I would have you _fight_. Whether you choose to attack the _dinoklir_ on your own or alongside the _joorre_ who march to fight as well is up to you. All I ask is that you, _ol kiir do Bormahu_, fight against the spawn of Molag Bal." She opened her arms. "Will you take this challenge? Or will you huddle on your mountains while darkness sweeps over the world below?"

* * *

Veleth didn't find the beast, it found him. It had come crashing through the swamp, full grown trees snapping in its wake. At first Veleth thought it was a dragon but his mind quickly changed on that. The _dov_ walked with their wings acting as front legs. This thing's wings were separate completely and it ran on his back legs, swiping trees aside with its front legs. It was at least as big as Odahviing, if not larger. It slashed at him with a claw span bigger than he was.

He ran out of the way but there was no place he could really get out of the way to. This thing would tear everything apart.

The rage beast was impressed. This was quite the monster. A good challenge. Veleth himself was less interested in the challenge and more interested in protecting the children. He dropped his hold on it entirely. He needed it to hold on until the others got here.

His vision flooded red and the titan's roar was drowned out with his own bellow.

Nevano pulled Trueflame and Hopesfire loose, their flames igniting at his unspoken command. He could see an enormous black shadow ahead. The trees all around were snapped and tossed aside like toys.

The black shadow spread its enormous wings and roared, swiping massive claws in front of it, slicing yet another tree in half. He saw Veleth leap back away from the claws...then go perfectly calm. His eyes, already glowing, seemed to burst into flames. His skin cracked and blackened, his nails growing to outstrip his own gauntlets. He let out a demonic roar and launched at the huge beast.

"Well, shit...give Veleth a wide berth!" Nevano called to the other three. "Spread out! I have _no_ idea what the hell this thing is but it's going to die here!"

"_A titan_," came the eerie whisper from the mists near them. "_A corrupted dragon, sent by Molag Bal."_

"Great," Nevano muttered. "_Just_ what we needed here!"

Drizzt darted to the side and back, scimitars out, intending to flank the creature. He saw Nevusa on the other side, and Serana between them, a slender katana he was sure came from Sky Haven Temple in her hands.

Arrows whistled by, hitting the beast in the head. It roared in annoyance, distracted for a moment but that moment was all Veleth needed. He moved in fast, impossibly fast for one wearing heavy armor, his sword burying itself deep into the titan. It roared and slashed at him but he was already gone.

Nevano moved in then, Hopesfire and Trueflame slicing at the tendons in its back leg before he ran back out again. Nevusa's hands started to glow as she began to cast.

Drizzt did much the same as Nevano: a lightning-fast dart in, slashing at the back of the huge legs-once, twice, thrice!-digging into the wounds Nevano had opened as well as opening new ones of his own. It bellowed and howled, swinging at him-but he was already back and out of range. Serana followed him, darting in with a two-handed stroke of her katana, then launching herself back.

More arrows flew in from different locations, the twins moving fast to new vantage points. The ground beneath the titan glowed red.

Nevano motioned for Drizzt and Serana to stay back just as the fire mine beneath the titan went off. The titan screeched as it was engulfed in furious flames. Veleth took full advantage of the screeching and ran in, ignoring the flames that brushed against him. The titan tried to avoid the powerful attacks but his sword still found purchase, lopping off one of the enormous wings.

Nevano was about to start his own charge in but a small movement caught his eye. He glanced over and his heat leaped into his throat. "Drizzt!" He didn't think. He just ran, throwing himself between the drow and the small demons that had been creeping up on them.

Drizzt wheeled. He saw Nevano's aid...but didn't need it. The Hunter had been sitting at the back of his mind for the entire time: the entrance of the smaller demons was all it needed to break loose. He wheeled into the fray.

Demons were almost too easy, after how often he'd been having to fight them lately.

Nevano was pissed. Actually, he was _beyond_ pissed off. This was so far beyond mere meddling that he would accept Azura dropping him into sleep for a dream chat this very moment over dealing with this shite! There was a giant dragon demon here, these little fetchers needed to screw off to whatever level of Oblivion they came from.

Drizzt danced, his blades slicing easily through flesh and bone. These foolish creatures; nothing more than an irritating distraction from the true danger. Still, every one he killed now was one that wouldn't threaten his allies; so he danced, and each stroke of his weapons laid another one low.

Between four swords, the damn demons were quickly sent back to the rivers of Oblivion to fight their way back to life. By the time they turned back to the Titan, it was favoring one leg, missing both wings and bleeding heavily from massive missing chunks, its black blood spraying everywhere.

Nevano and Drizzt started to close in on it, as did the others. Veleth, in particular, seemed ready for the kill. The titan roared and spun. Apparently if it couldn't take out the maddening creature before it, it would try for the others.

Drizzt, unbelievably, stepped forward, drawing his blades across each other. He braced himself, daring the titan to come after him. Claws swept around, trees, dirt and rocks flying. The others scattered to avoid the missiles. Drizzt didn't, dodging around or under everything that flew at him instead, and holding his ground. Enraged, the titan closed in on him He waited until the last second-then turned into a whirlwind of steel, dancing around it, in and out of the danger zone, each time scoring at least three wounds on it. It was undoubtedly far more powerful than he-but he was by far the faster, running a ring of razors around it.

The titan took a deep breath in and spewed black flames everywhere. Serana screamed. Drizzt dodged, Icingdeath raised. He bit back an oath as the heat reached him: the blade's enchantment blocked most of the fire, but this wasn't a natural flame, and he was definitely going to be feeling the burns later. Nevusa quickly put a ward between her and Serana, cursing. That stung even her!

Unearthly screams filled the air as the Dunmer ancestors finally had enough. They swarmed the titan, knocking it back on its haunches, flailing its massive claws in the air but unable to attack the ethereal spirits. They forced its head up and back, the black flames gouting skyward.

Drizzt took the advantage presented, racing forward. He used a nearby rock to give himself a boost as he sprang up at it, crossing his blades in front of him, then lashing out with both in the same instant at the titan's exposed throat.

The mighty roar died down to a gurgle and the titan swayed. Drizzt caught himself on the creature's chest, then launched himself backward as it finally toppled, before falling with an impressive _crash_.

The mists faded as the ancestors faded away. Finally the waves of demons were vanquished.

Veleth took several long moments to calm down to normal again. When he did, his voice was very rough. "Everyone ok?"

Drizzt inhaled hard. He'd been burned worse than he thought. "Blast it_..._ah...no." There wasn't much exposed skin on his body-but every inch of it was starting to blister, and it felt as though he'd been burned beneath some of the lighter parts of his armor, too.

"Let's get you back to my mother." Veleth winced. "She can heal that if Ravenlight isn't back yet. Damn; I've never heard of a demon like this."

"Seen some...similar...in my own world," Drizzt panted. He sheathed his swords and nearly screamed when he tried to let go of them: his palms had seared onto the hilts. "Not quite...the same, though. Aaaah!" He swore for several minutes, not quite driven to his knees by the pain of finally peeling his hands away. Several layers of skin had remained on the metal.

Nevusa helped Serana to her feet. "Hang on. I am by no means any sort of healer but I can at least make it somewhat bearable for you to make it back...though I would suggest getting your unicorn to ride back."

He nodded, though it took a moment of fumbling before he was able to get his whistle out, and he was able to sound a good blast while Nevusa worked on his hands. Serana stood by, looking sick. She still wasn't anywhere near over her dread of fire, and seeing the burns on him wasn't helping anything. Thankfully, Anhadar appeared quickly, and knelt down at once when he signaled. This let him mount without having to use his hands.

"Serana, are you hurt?" Nevano asked

She shook her head. "Just...shaken. I don't like fire. Or seeing people...burned."

"Can't say I blame you on that. Not used to seeing it." Nevano winced. His people could withstand quite a bit of heat. To burn a Dunmer...you had to practically throw one into the volcano. " 'Vusa, go with him. Get him to Drelasa quick. We'll make sure there aren't any stragglers out here and then head back as well."

"Right." Nevusa clambered up into the saddle behind him, trying not to touch him when she saw him holding back a flinch when she did. Her motions were awkward, but thankfully, Andahar understood what she was doing. He turned toward the manor and cantered off, keeping his gait smooth for his injured rider.

Nevano watched them go, worried but assured that there really wasn't a whole lot that couldn't be fixed between Ravenlight and Drelasa. He turned to the monster. "So...anyone have any idea what the hell this is?"

The twins came out from the trees. "The wise woman called it a titan?"

"Big nasty from Coldharbour."

"Ugh." Serana shuddered. "If Molag Bal is actually sending _his_ demons after us..."

"It's probably worse than I've ever seen before."

"Not the first demon he's sent." Nevano kicked its head. "Though this was the nastiest. I don't remember any of Molag Bal and Vivec's children looking like _this_ though I always said those stupid sermons were a bunch of shite."

"Molag Bal had _children_ with someone?" Serana looked as though she was about to vomit. "_Divines_. I-the ceremony was bad enough. I can't imagine actually having to...carry a _child_ of his."

"I...really can't tell..." Nevano's head twitched to the side. "Sorry. Making Nerevar angry."

"Vivec was a false god of the Dunmer people." Veleth filled in. "One story of his tells how he was...married to Molag Bal for eighty days? No, eighty-eight. Had his children then killed them. Vivec liked to tell lies and half-truths so we don't know if any of it was true, half of that was true or if it was and some of those children survived."

Serana shuddered violently. "I don't...I _hope_ it's not true. I had to..._endure_ his attentions, to become a-a Daughter of Coldharbour. It was _horrible_, I didn't know if I would survive...and my younger sister didn't. Eighty-eight days...I can't imagine going through that. Let alone _willingly_."

"Vivec used Molag Bal for his own gain." Nevano's voice deepened and turned hard. "As he did to many. He split his form, leaving only his body to Molag Bal. His mind did not have to endure. Then he banished Molag Bal."

The vampire shook her head. "Still. Ugh." She sighed and looked up. "Let's see if there are any little demons still here; then I'm going back to the manor. I need to make sure Drizzt is all right."

"There _were_ some." One twin said.

"Not anymore!" The other grinned.

"Would you two speak common!" Veleth barked.

"The smaller ones went to the manor!" The twins said together.

Nevano felt the blood drain from his face.

"But we said not anymore."

"We _did_ leave _alma_ Veleth there..."

* * *

**There is one small issue with writing stories together with someone over the course of months...you tend to lose track of how long it's actually been for the characters in the story. Which means...we're going at a breakneck pace, and these poor souls will get barely any rest. If any at all. **

**As always, read and review! We love hearing from you guys!**


	10. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

Odahviing landed, bending his head down to let her off. "Any more flying in the near future?"

"Not right away." Ravenlight straightened her back a little and sighed. "That went...better than I'd thought. With those powerful ones going off to fight on their own, and _ten_ others agreeing to fight alongside us...the crisis point has been moved back, I think. We can spend a day or two riding normally before I need you again. My thanks to you."

She looked around, suddenly noticing scorched, twisted forms lying at a fairly consistent distance from the house. "Ah-what _happened_ out here?!"

A tiny growl came from her left. A runty demon was tightly chained to a tree, to the point it couldn't move more than its head to look around. It growled at her again, though it was helpless to do much more.

Her blade moved like lightning, slamming through it and almost a hand's-breadth into the tree behind it. She withdrew it with a jerk and looked around, eyes glowing garnet. "Any more?"

Only silence answered her. She wiped the blood and goo off her blade and hurried into the house.

* * *

"Don't squirm, darling. I know it hurts." Drelasa was fussing over Drizzt, as he sprawled on his bed in the cabin entrance. "It won't soon, though."

Ravenlight's eyes widened, and she yanked off her helmet, dropping it on a side table as she hurried forward. "_Uhiel?_ What happened?"

"Demon. Big one." He grunted with pain as Drelasa opened his right hand: the burns were more severe on that one. "Breathed fire. Thought Icingdeath could counter it; it did, but not...well."

"If what you described was right...it might have been a titan." Drelasa said. "Once a dragon...that Molag Bal twisted into something worse."

"Mm." Ravenlight's eyes darkened. "If dragons have been twisted by Molag Bal, that might explain why they were so largely willing to help fight." She pulled off her gauntlets and glanced at Drelasa. "Could you use any help?"

"His other hand, sweet child." Drelasa said.

Ravenlight nodded and gently took his left hand in hers, golden light swirling around them as she did. She hissed as she saw what had happened, gently stroking her fingers across his skinned palm.

He relaxed slightly with a groan as the injuries began, slowly, to heal.

"Darling, please try not to stand in demon fire like this again." Drelasa said, working up his arm. "Burn scars do not show off as well."

He managed to crack a smile. "I'll remember that." He was silent for a moment, then glanced at Ravenlight. "You said the dragons will fight?"

She nodded. "Most of the strongest ones won't fight alongside us, so we might have to watch out for them..but they'll be hunting vampires, even if they decide not to leave their territories. Others are going to High Rock to take the fight to the vampires there. And ten of them-three Frost dragons, two Elder, another Revered, and four Blood dragons-have agreed to fight alongside us."

"Hmm, for the life of me, out of all the seemingly random history my husband has spouted off at me, I can't remember ever hearing of a volunteer dragon army." Drelasa said. "You are making history here, child. Again."

"I'm sure this was the first time there was a mortal _Dovahjud_, too," Ravenlight said dryly. "The only other Dragonborn who might have fought Alduin was Miraak, and he wasn't interested in anything that might have benefited the rest of the world, just himself." She considered, sending healing energy down Drizzt's arm and into his back. "Though they didn't really _volunteer_. I kind of told them that they could either fight or huddle on their mountains like cowards, and they weren't about to take _that_. It helped that Odahviing and Paarthurnax were indicating they felt the same way."

"When asking for volunteers, it always does wonders to give a good incentive. Whether that incentive is to avoid a major blow to ego and reputation or even bodily harm...it is still incentive." Drelasa said lightly, moving carefully to Drizzt's neck. "And madmen do not count."

"And Miraak was definitely mad. Maybe not favorite-of-Sheogorath mad, but _definitely_ mad." Ravenlight placed her hand on Drizzt's face. "How on earth you managed to get every inch of exposed skin burned enough to blister, but not lose your eyebrows or your hair I do _not_ understand. Blaise loses his eyebrows nearly every time he experiments with fire spells, let alone getting _hit_ with one."

"Nevusa brushed your hair out, did she not?" Drelasa giggled. "Did she put anything on your hair?"

Drizzt half-nodded, trying not to move too much. "Said she couldn't make it behave otherwise."

"There's your answer." Drelasa laughed. "I'm sorry, darling, I'm not laughing at you. It was just so perfectly fortuitous. If I'm correct in my thinking of what she used...well, it was basically a fire resist."

"That would do it." He sighed. "Should have _taken_ a fire-resist potion...I know there's plenty here. It's just...my sword, Icingdeath, normally protects me from all kinds of fire. It _worked-_-I'm still alive...but it didn't stop it completely this time."

"Or made her mad enough to throw it on you. Hindsight and all." Drelasa said. She lifted a lock of white hair and sniffed. "Yup. Sload soap, fire petal and black anther. Don't ask what sload soap is. And I'm anxious to see how the others are looking. Demon fire is one thing and dragon fire is its own thing. But demon dragon fire? I'm not fully certain even a powerful enchantment can stop that. This hair gel helped stop your hair from being burned off, but I can still feel damage. I have something for that, though it's not nearly as fire resistant so, again, if another titan makes an appearance, do try to avoid it. Let Modyn or Nevano get fried first."

"Don't know if they would have fared any better," he said quietly. "Not against fire like that."

"I have to agree," Ravenlight said grimly. "I've seen him shield people-including _me_, at times-from dragonfire with that sword. And cool lava. If it failed to completely protect him from this..."

"I'm pretty sure I was the only one in the flames, though" he added, before closing his eyes with a sigh.

"I will admit I'm curious to see if the Ebony Mail will resist that much fire." Drelasa mused. "That and it'll teach him to _move_. That boy..." She grew the glowing gold ball so that it encompassed half of Drizzt's body. "Gods, darling...all over..."

Ravenlight added her power to Drelasa's. "I'm not surprised," she muttered, though her eyes were fond. "He...he's protective. Even when the ones he's protecting don't need it that much." She stroked the side of his face fondly, lightly brushing his hair back. "If someone had to be the one to jump into the middle of demon dragon fire...and if he was taking it on to protect them..." She shook her head. "I don't think he thought twice."

_One wishes so deeply for the good of others he risks himself._ She heard Kaid-Anit's words again. It had not been difficult at all to guess which one he'd been speaking of then.

Drelasa murmured, unhappy to see how bad it really was. "Need to make sure your armor is not fused with your skin; or else it will be healed _to_ it and will only hurt worse when you remove your armor later."

Ravenlight nodded. "I'll help."

"Let's go, darling." Drelasa helped him up. "Hate to damage your dignity but you need to strip."

He nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Ravenlight's seen it all already. Not worried about you." He helped as much as he could as they pulled the armor off, biting his tongue physically at points. Much of the armor had protected him; but wherever it was weaker, the heat had seeped through enough to sear through the cloth and stick the metal to his skin.

Drelasa murmured a few curses. "Very powerful beast. One moment, I have a salve that will help smooth the skin down. Bumpy scars risk catching and bleeding." She jumped up and ran for her bag.

Drizzt sagged against Ravenlight, then let out a gasp of pain and straightened. "Sorry, _essiel_...your armor hurts."

"I bet it does. Hang on for a little longer, and I'll try to get into something else." She stroked his shoulder, her hands wreathed in gold.

Drelasa ran back in, handing Ravenlight a small container. "Here, put that on him following the armor. Use the tips of your fingers or you won't feel your hand for a few hours."

"Right. Can you help support him while I do that? He can't lean on me while I'm in this." Ravenlight dipped her fingers in the container and scooped out some of the tingling material inside. It wasn't hard at all to trace it over where it was most needed. Any little seam in his armor was traced in a livid red that looked almost hellish against the black of the healthy skin.

While she held him, Drelasa dug out a small vial. "Here, darling, drink this. It'll keep a fever at bay and helps calm your skin from the inside."

He nodded and took it, throwing it down in a single, practiced gulp. Though it was every bit as vile as any other potion, this one had the vague aftertaste of sweet berries. Unfortunately it also kicked him in the stomach like an angry horse. Drelasa brushed his hair from his face, murmuring in Dunmeri to him, her hand glowing very faintly with a cooling blue light over hot burns.

Ravenlight finished stroking the ointment over the burns and straightened. Then she cocked her head and listened. "I think the others are coming back," she said. "_Uhiel_, would you be more comfortable up in my room?"

He hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Just...don't let Connlach see what's happened," he half-pleaded.

"I'm sure the cookies Lucia made are ready about now." Drelasa said. "He might be a bit interested in nosing in on those. He is an adorable bottomless pit."

"He loves his sweets." Ravenlight checked the blankets for softness and settled on one, which she wrapped around him. "Cookies, sweet rolls, crostatas...any of those are guaranteed to hold his attention for a while. The danger there is that he'll probably want to bring some to Drizzt before we've got the damage dealt with."

"As long as the others don't limp in, we can have them try to distract him for a bit." Drelasa dabbed more numbing on Drizzt. "Can you still move, darling?"

"Not easily, but yes." He nodded. "I can make it upstairs, at least."

"We will go easy. Don't want to ruin what we just fixed." Drelasa nodded at Ravenlight. "Go ahead and make sure we are mostly little one free ahead? Drizzt, darling, if it gets to be anywhere near too much, Do. Not. Push. It. I can get you there."

"Watch his face," Ravenlight warned. "He's been through hell so many times he half-thinks it's normal. If he starts going gray, it's too much for him. I'll go clear the way."

"Any slight color change and I am taking over."

"Good."

Ravenlight ignored his half-amused, half-exasperated sigh as she headed out to make sure that Blaise, Lucia, and most importantly Connlach were nowhere in sight. Blaise and Lucia were in the kitchen, sniping at each other like usual. She responded with a slightly-raised call of, "Children," before looking for Connlach. She spotted Guen first: the panther was lying down in front of the large main hearthfire. Conn's fuzzy black hair was almost invisible against her fur, and in fact, she only spotted him when his hand came up to drop a few pebbles down to his other hand. She walked over to him carefully: if he was half-asleep, as he usually ended up being after draped over Guen in front of the fire for an hour or two, she didn't want to wake him. If he wasn't nearly asleep, though, she'd need to move him into the kitchen before he could see his favorite uncle as torn up as he was.

From the sounds outside, the others were back but were busily taking care of dragging off the demon corpses, or what was left of them after a pissed off Drelasa took them on. There was a shout and a _whack!_ followed by a yelp of pain from a twin. No danger, just a twin being stupid. From the deep rumble that followed, Veleth approved of the correction.

Ravenlight moved as quietly as her armor would let her to check on Connlach, and was relieved to see that his eyelids were drooping as he idly played with his pretty beach pebbles. It was almost time for his nap anyway; Guen and the fire were just simplifying things. She moved back over to the door and beckoned Drelasa and Drizzt through, putting a finger to her lips and jerking her head toward the fire as she did.

Drelasa waved her free hand and their footsteps turned nigh nonexistent. Despite Drizzt's claims of being able to walk, Drelasa had a firm grip on him, taking much of his weight to the point he was merely providing a direction for his body to face.

Ravenlight guided the two of them upstairs, to a small room behind a wall partition. It wasn't particularly fancy, despite the comfortable-looking double bed taking up much of the space; but it had a pleasantly homey look to it, and it was more private than the little cottage entrance. Drizzt gratefully collapsed on the bed as soon as he was close enough. He hadn't changed color, but his drawn expression suggested that, though he would rather bite his tongue off than complain, and even with Drelasa's help, heading to the upstairs room had not been easy on him.

"If we need more healing ointments," Ravenlight said in a low voice, "I have a greenhouse and an alchemy tower with a number of healing herbs and ingredients. Feel free to use it; they're sorted out into effect and labeled, since I've been teaching Lucia lately. If you're having trouble telling what anything does, just ask."

"Thank you, sweet one." Drelasa fussed over Drizzt, getting him fully settled. "I have something that is...a bit drastic but I figured he'd chafe if I don't get him healed in time to go along with us. Drizzt, darling, I'm going to give you a choice. This potion will work and work fast but the side effects are...not mild. As soon as it is finished I have a sleeping draught. You'll wake up feeling like you got kicked by a pack guar but ready to go. Or I can go more slowly and you and I can catch up with the others later."

He sighed. "I'd rather not lie here while the rest of you deal with half the vampires in Tamriel, dragons at your side or no. I'll take the side effects."

Drelasa nodded and pulled out a tiny bottle sealed with red wax. "Ravenlight...I'm going to need a bucket."

"Got a few." She vanished, then returned with a solid bucket that appeared to have been thoroughly scoured many times before. "An unfortunate thing I've discovered is that children, for some reason, yearly come down with something. And while I've got what I need to cure them and get them through it...well...sometimes, you just have to let it run its course."

"Oh yes. And I've been unable to curb the effects no matter what I've tried." Drelasa brushed his hair back in apology. "Only had to use this potion four times. Once on my husband, once on Modyn and twice on Nevano. We learned plenty of new curses in Nevano's native tongue the second time. Don't worry about scaring the young ones. I'll put a muffle spell up. And I will forgive whatever you say while under this." She took out a knife and peeled the wax off. "Drink quickly once you open it. It loses potency quickly in the air."

He nodded, took the potion, paused for a second as if bracing himself, then threw it down in a single mouthful. The taste was particularly harsh and acidic. Drelasa handed him a hackle-lo drink to wash it down.

In the moments before the potion took hold, Ravenlight stepped behind a screen, pulling off her dragon-scale armor. There were a few muffled curses from her side as she struggled out of the cuirass, followed by thumps as she removed the heavy boots and leggings. When she emerged, much more quickly than she had while putting it on, she was wearing a simple blue dress, slightly askew from how quickly she'd tugged it on, and her feet were bare.

"Will you be a dear and go make sure the larger children aren't bleeding from holes they are trying to hide?" Drelasa asked. "We have a few moments before it truly takes hold. Oh, and see if that runty demon is still chained to the tree or if he chewed himself up getting free."

"Ah...apologies if you meant to try questioning that one," Ravenlight said sheepishly. "I saw a demon close to my house, chained up or no, and killed it instantly. But Serana may be able to reanimate it enough to try questioning it, if we have to: I didn't take its head off. And yes, I'll go down and make sure no one else is severely hurt."

"Ah that's ok. I should have stabbed a note to it but I wasn't thinking that clearly at that particular moment." Drelasa said. "If she is able I wish to ask a few things of it but she doesn't want to, that's alright. Undoubtedly we will encounter more. And thank you, sweet child. Seems every single one of my children think that by saying 'it's fine!' an injury will magically fix itself..."

Drizzt raised an eyebrow at Ravenlight, who scowled at him. "I always said, 'I need to heal' or took a few potions, _or_ told you I needed to rest whenever I got hurt, _uhiel_, and you know it. 'Nothing compared to the others' was always true, and I _was_ always healing it whenever I said so." She nodded at Drelasa. "I'll go now, see who else might have been hurt."

She slipped out of the room and went down the stairs, noting as she did that Connlach had indeed fallen asleep against Guenhwyvar, and moved even more quickly in hopes of heading off a group of loud warriors before they could come clumping in and wake him up.

* * *

She went outside and found them still trying to remove the magical chains from tree. "All right," she said by way of greeting. "Drelasa sent me out here to find out who else might need healing, as I can handle that part of it while she's helping Drizzt. But let me tell you all here and now: my youngest son has fallen asleep in the main room, and if you come storming in and wake him up before he's had a good nap..." Her eyes flashed garnet, and this time, it was not in a motherly, comforting way, "you will _wish_ it was that corrupted dragon that got you, rather than me!"

Veleth held his hands up. "Don't shoot, I know better! Waking sleeping kids is a punishment itself, never mind the other implications. How's Drizzt?"

"No worries, _alma_ Raven." Nevusa grinned. "We won't wake the wee little one."

"Drelasa's giving him a potion that'll fix him up and get him ready to go by tomorrow, though it apparently has some drastic side effects." She looked them over. "She told me to come out and find out which of you might also need healing."

"Oh, she brought _that_ with her." Nevano winced in sympathy. "Well, he's in for one hell of an afternoon...but that shite works, I'll give it that. It'll fix whatever has ailed him for the past century...but he'll revisit everything he's eaten since then too. As for injury...I think we're good."

Veleth quietly pointed at Nevano's arm.

Ravenlight held out her hand to him. "Let me see your arm, Nevano."

"Huh?" Nevano seemed genuinely confused.

"Veleth pointed at you." She raised an eyebrow at Veleth. "And you know, I'll be checking you over too, just in case."

Veleth rolled his eyes in mock annoyance before giving her a half grin and going back to dragging demon bodies off to the burn pile.

"I didn't get..._vith_." Nevano held up his left arm, his eyes widening when he saw the leather bracer barely attached by a few blood-soaked strands, deep bloody claw marks marring the skin underneath. "That's going to hurt in about 3 seconds..."

Ravenlight's hands filled with light, and she lightly clasped his arm between them, frowning a little in concentration as she poured the healing energy into the wound.

"OW! Shite!" Nevano yanked his arm back.

One hand snagged on his wrist to keep him from pulling it away. "Is the healing making it hurt worse?" She looked at him before reaching out and carefully removing the bracer.

"Ah, wait..." Nevano protested weakly but it was a bit too late. The bracer fell over, revealing the network of blackened veins beneath his skin.

Ravenlight's eyes widened. "_That_ is...that had better not be natural. Is that from the injury?"

"No, it's not. Not at all." Nevano sighed. "Remember the lich and the tower bell?"

Ravenlight gave him a long, level stare. "This was _how_ long ago? Were you not able to get it healed then, or were you just ignoring it?" She idly noticed the others coming up to see what had prompted her startled outburst.

Nevano's eyes were wide. "I might have taken the phylactery and shoved it into him...and...well over a year ago?"

"So this is definitely a taint." Ravenlight turned. "Serana? I think this'll need your expertise here."

Curious, the vampire came up. She hissed when she saw the network of blackened veins. "_Talos_, yes. What caused this?"

"One hell of a nasty lich." Veleth glared. "That raised up about every dead mer that was busily rotting in the ground from the _Argonian Invasion_ two hundred years ago _AND_ enthralled the _entire living Ordinator population in Mournhold_." By now he was damn near flailing, his eyes flashing. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"In my defense, something else fully gained our attention right after..." Nevano said.

Veleth threw his hands in the air and stormed off. Nevusa slapped a hand to her face. "You threw the _phylactery_ at him?"

"Something tells me you will be hearing about this for a while." Serana raised her hands as they started to glow an eerie purplish-red. "Ravenlight, hold him still. Nevano, this shouldn't _hurt_, but it is going to feel _very_ strange."

"Ah...about that..." Nevano backed away nervously, but bumped into twins.

"There is an _undead taint_ in your veins. I don't care what else you're immune to, it is _not_ good for you, and if it can't rot your body, I promise it will start attacking your mind." Serana placed her hands on either side of the wound and began to concentrate, the eerie light touching his arm, then flowing back into her.

Nevano jerked and started to bolt. Ravenlight grabbed him by the arm and scruff of the neck, twisting him into a sort of wrestling hold to keep him still. "If there's some reason she shouldn't pull that gunk out of you, then _tell us!_" she barked.

"No, he's just wussing out." Nevusa said.

"Good. Serana, get rid of that."

She nodded, smiling a little, and drew her hands back slightly. The light began to take on a darker hue, and the black beneath his arm seemed to wriggle, then slowly began to flow out through the wound.

Nevano twisted his expression, not happy in the _slightest_ and more than a little panicked

"She's just drawing the taint," Ravenlight said, her voice as soothing as it could be while she grimly held him still. "She's worked on this spell for years; I don't know how many people, in the Dawnguard and out of it, she's been able to help or even save this way. It feels strange, I'll say that-but it works, and she's not actually hurting you."

He shivered in her grip, the feeling of it squirming out making even Nerevar shift in discomfort.

"And if you don't _calm down_, I will tell Drelasa that you were walking around for a _year_ with this poison in your system without telling her. And I will take care of Drizzt while she takes you out behind whatever woodshed she chooses!"

"Ugh," Serana said, half in interjection; she didn't seem to be listening. "This stuff is _nasty_. I've dealt with some awful taints before, but this is...I think I'm going to be washing my hands for a while when I'm done, I'll say that. And if it gets on anything that's not the ground, _burn it_. In the _foundry_."

Veleth came back over, smoke rising behind him. "That lich sat waiting for two hundred years, surrounded by I don't know how many trapped souls to power him. You should have seen underneath the city...we were mobbed. Considering the man the lich once was...there really wasn't a depth he wouldn't sink to in order to get what he wanted." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I get it though. Afterwards there was a different health emergency on his part and we all completely glossed over the damned lich."

"In that case, it was highly fortuitous that you ran into us afterward." Ravenlight shifted slightly to keep her grip firm. "Nevano, hold _still_. I meant what I said about Drelasa. Serana's become an expert in identifying and removing taints of all kinds."

He couldn't settle down, not with the feeling of _something_ wiggling through him.

"He's not the worst by a long shot," Serana commented wryly. "I had to help one of the Companions last year, after he was clawed up by something horrible a necromancer had conjured. He was so determined to get away that Farkas had to sit on him to hold him still for me." She giggled. "And he cried when he couldn't get away. Not that I blame him, it was some truly horrible stuff in him...but still."

"Leave it, leave it." Nevano murmured

"I'm almost finished." The light surrounding her hands finally went from a murky color back to the reddish purple it had initially been, and she released the light, examining his arm. "There. You're cleaned out."

He was still shaking when it was over.

Ravenlight released him, then called the golden light into her hand and went back to healing the claw marks. "There. With _that_ out of there, this'll be easier. Nevusa...could you go inside and move Connlach up to his bed? He sleeps in the little one by the wall in the left upstairs room. If Drizzt is about to get into some, ah, distress, it's going to alarm Guen, too, and I don't want her trying to figure out whether she should go on being a pillow or go up to him."

Nevusa nodded and took off. Veleth sent the twins off to go finish cleaning up.

With the taint gone, the wounds in Nevano's arm flowed together, healing without a scar. Ravenlight prodded the arm a little to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, then released him. "All right. Veleth, did you take any injuries while you were fighting that thing?" He stepped away from her quickly, shivering still.

"No. Went full demon myself." He shook his head. "All the small cuts cauterize themselves then."

"Anything larger than a few small cuts?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Not that I know of." He looked himself over. "Twins were out of range and surrounded by their ancestors so they barely even got dirty. I think it was mostly Drizzt and Nevano."

She nodded. "In that case, I should probably get up there before that potion of Drelasa's takes effect. I believe she and the kids managed to get something made in the kitchen, so there's food." She glanced over at Nevano with a flash of sympathy, then went back inside, heading back up to her room and the two waiting there.

* * *

Inside it was quiet; but if Drelasa _had_ cast a muffle spell, that didn't mean anything. Ravenlight went into her room, and instantly had to fight past a vivid flashback of the hangover she'd had after the unintentional drinking contest with Sanguine. Drizzt had all but fallen out of the bed, bent over the bucket. The only reason he was not all the way out of the bed was Guenhwyvar, who was lying half on him and watching anxiously. Drelasa was holding his hair back. After a second, Ravenlight rallied herself and came in, walking over to them.

Drelasa was talking soothingly to Drizzt, holding his shoulders while he heaved. She glanced up when Ravenlight came in and gave her a small rueful smile. "The good news is he's already starting to heal. The bad news is that this is...only the beginning." She petted Drizzt's hair from his forehead. "Poor honey is in for a rough time."

He lifted his head up, panting, and gave Ravenlight a wan smile. "My sympathy for what happened to you is increasing every second." He looked considerably grayer than usual, but she could already see the worst of the burns beginning to fade.

"I bet." She stroked his shoulder sympathetically. "Only other person hurt was Nevano. He'd been clawed up, and there was a kind of poison in the wound. Serana drew the poison out, and I got the wound healed."

He nodded, his face lightening for a moment. "Good." Then he bent over the bucket again hastily. Guenhwyvar yowled unhappily, butting against his other shoulder.

Drelasa narrowed her eyes suspiciously but she had the wisdom to say nothing. She merely nodded. "Thank you for checking on them."

Ravenlight smiled a little. "He behaved while we were healing him, so I'll let the others tattle. Drizzt, do you want me to mix up a variant of Adrienne's hangover remedy for your throat once this is done with?"

He nodded between heaves. "Please."

Drelasa somehow seriously doubted that. It might have been she had spent the last two hundred plus years chasing Nevano to heal even a hangnail but it also could have been that, no matter the reassurances, Nevano didn't really know Serana...yet. But no one had mentioned burying him for going completely snarky and her son wasn't there telling her to do something...she let it go. Drizzt needed her attention more right now.

Ravenlight smiled at Drelasa, stroked Drizzt's shoulders, and then headed into the alchemy tower to see what she would need for the hangover remedy-particularly the bit that soothed a throat made raw from uncontrollable vomiting.

* * *

Poor Drizzt endured several grueling hours before the potion finally began to release him from its grip. Every so often, he was able to rest, just for a few minutes: long enough to empty the bucket and bring it back clean. Then he'd be bend over it again. But as the light began to fade to evening, Drelasa eased him back into bed for the last time, getting another tiny bottle out and putting a few drops into a cup of water. "Just a little while longer, darling. It's almost over."

Almost at the same time, Ravenlight appeared with a blue enameled cup in her hand. "Let him drink some of this first, Drelasa; it'll soothe his throat."

She nodded. "Of course."

She sat beside him, carefully shifting the fourth reeking bucket away, and put the cup to his lips. "Just sip it, remember. This doesn't taste as bad as most potions, especially this variety; I make it for the children after they've been sick."

He sipped obediently, weak from the past few hours, and sighed in relief. "It's helping. A lot. Thank you." When she lowered the cup, he briefly rested his head against her, then looked over at Drelasa. "All right. I'll take that now. And thank you, as well."

Drelasa smiled and brought the cup to him. "I'm just happy you will be okay. When you wake up, you can admire the lack of burns." She helped him drink the whole cup.

He drank obediently, then sank back into the mattress and pillows. Guenhwyvar instantly stretched out beside him, not lying on top of him this time, but nuzzling up against him and resting her chin on one shoulder. He smiled a little, his eyes drifting closed. "Worrywart," he muttered sleepily.

"I think you had a point this time, dear." Drelasa stroked Guen's silky ears. "You watch over him very well."

"She does." Ravenlight stroked the panther's head as well. "All right. Let's let him sleep while we get the others fed and settled down. I've got a guest wing in the back; might be a _little_ cramped, since I'm not used to having quite so many people show up at once, but I think I can get everyone into a bed."

Drelasa waved the tiny bottle of sleeping draught. "I got the cure for whining right here,"

Ravenlight fought back a laugh. "That would certainly work!" They left the room, Ravenlight carrying the bucket to be emptied and cleaned. "Morthal's only about five miles away, and there is a road from here to the town...but I really can't _recommend_ the Moorside Inn. It's not the worst place I've ever stayed at, and she's learned a little since we first stayed there...but it's still far from the best place."

"Undoubtedly one or several of the others have made their way there." Drelasa said. "Or they are out hunting. They don't sit still well. So...what happened with Nevano?"

"Well..." Ravenlight paused. "He'd been clawed by that...titan thing, so I went to heal his arm. The second the light touched him, though, he yelped and tried to yank his arm back. I've seen that before, when Alduin nearly killed Drizzt. He'd actually injected his malice into the wounds. I thought it was the same thing until I took off his bracer." She grimaced. "His veins were a...a network of black under his skin."

"What in the hell..." Drelasa was really frowning now.

"Turns out it was a little souvenir from that lich-king he'd fought about a year ago. The others understand more than I do-Nevusa, in particular, will probably regale you with precisely how foolish he was. It was a truly horrible taint, though. I called Serana over; she's an expert on removing taints of that sort, and while he made me pin him in place while she pulled the stuff out, he didn't fight me too much while I was doing it."

"Son of a guar!" Drelasa swore. "I knew I missed something! He had that thing with the Heart and I focused on that since he decided to _stop breathing_...that stunted fool!"

Ravenlight shuddered for a moment, looking away and closing her eyes.

Drelasa sighed tiredly. "Two foreign bodies at once. Talk about bad luck. I always thought my son would drive me to an early grave being a hot-headed young idiot..." She shook her head. "Nevano is beating him to it."

"Well, he's better now." Ravenlight inhaled, apparently recovering from whatever had shaken her. "Let's go see who all is still here and get supper going. At the very least, the children and Valdimar will need it."

"Yes. Thank you, again, for saving his hide." Drelasa put a hand to her forehead. "I dare say this won't be the last you do either."

"Well...I've needed it more than once myself." Ravenlight absently flexed her right hand. "It'll be nice to have more than one person capable of healing in the group this time, especially since I _will_ be on the front lines. It is not in my nature to lead from the back."

"You lead. I'll send a thunderstorm along with you and keep the injured safe." Drelasa nodded.

"I should give you the Storm Call shout. It'd take a while to learn without the _sossedov_, the dragon blood...but you've got a will that I think could master it." Ravenlight came downstairs and looked around to see who was still there.

"I can make very good use of that." Drelasa said. She looked around. "Annnd none of the boys are here. Of course."

Nevusa was there, talking with Serana, but the twins, Veleth, and Nevano were nowhere to be seen. Valdimar was there, of course; seated by the fire in a chair that allowed him to keep an eye on the entire room at all times, even while he appeared to be focused on whittling a piece of wood.

"The boys are used to running wild. When all four decided to stay in the city, I have to admit I was a bit surprised." Drelasa said. "So when they get the chance to run wild...they take it. You might end up with quite a full pantry."

"I hope they don't run into anything they don't expect," Ravenlight said. "We've got trolls in the marsh-and I've seen chaurus up here more than once. Not much in comparison with a twisted dragon, I'll admit, but chaurus are some nasty creatures. Run into one of those, and we'll have a lot more healing to do."

"They'll figure it out pretty quick." Drelasa said. "I'll wash up and start dinner. I don't expect Drizzt to wake up until morning but I'll get something simple for him in case he does wake up. He'll be hungry as a horse though a tad unwilling to push it."

"Oh, I bet he will be." Ravenlight paused, then smiled. "Do you know how to fry clams? I finally learned how to do it right myself...and we have plenty of them growing on the shore. I can just have Blaise and Connlach go out with Valdimar to dig a few dozen up for us, if you'd like."

Blaise, catching that, sat up eagerly. Even Connlach, who'd awakened from his nap a while back and seemed a little disgruntled that Drizzt was nowhere in sight, perked up at the possibility.

"That I do. You bring me whatever you'd like to eat and I will cook it for you."

It was astounding how fast the two boys were ready, Connlach grabbing some small rakes and Blaise snatching up some buckets from the kitchen. Valdimar laughed and rose. "Shouldn't take us until sundown. We'll bring back plenty of clams, and I'll keep an eye out for any other types of fish in the shallows."

Nevusa looked up. "Want me to find the bigger boys?"

Drelasa shook her head. "Let them run it out. The four of them will just drive us all crazy otherwise. If they run into a troll...good. Work it out, just don't come back smelling of one or I will throw them into a pond myself."

"Throw them into the sea," Ravenlight advised. "We're close enough to the marsh right now that most of the ponds around here are pretty rank themselves. If it weren't for the dragonflies, which I all but breed in the summer, the mosquitoes would make this place hell to live in. But the sea is fresh. And the well water is clean as well, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Even better. I'm far more familiar with the sea." Drelasa said.

"Good! It's a little colder up here, but by and large, it's the same ocean." Ravenlight opened pantry drawers, pulling out a variety of vegetables: carrots, potatoes, cabbages, fresh and dried tomatoes, and leeks. "These all come from my garden, by the way. The soil here is very good."

Another pantry, this one close to the wall and colder than the other, held a variety of meat, from venison and beef to rabbit, pheasant, and slabs of dried salmon. She also had overhead racks drying herbs, which she gestured to.

"Make use of anything you'd like."

"Oh it has been _too_ long since I've seen a tomato or a carrot." Drelasa said. "These are beautiful."

"Tell you what," Ravenlight invited, "you cook supper, and I'll handle dessert. I've learned how to make a jazbay-and-snowberry crostata that is absolutely delicious."

"Deal." Drelasa immediately pushed Nevusa into chopping.

"I'll pick the berries!" Lucia scooped up a basket and was into the greenhouse before anyone could blink. Ravenlight laughed.

"That's the part she likes best."

* * *

For over half an hour, the women worked together in the kitchen, Drelasa handling the main course, Nevusa strong-armed into helping with preparation, and Ravenlight working alternately on a flaky crust and the sweet berry filling of the crostata, using butter, cream, and honey for crust and filling, as well as the berries and flour. By the time Blaise and Connlach returned, Connlach somehow half-soaked, but both of them beaming and carrying two buckets full of clams, she had finished pouring the filling into a sort of half-raised crust, and popped the whole thing into a stone oven.

Drelasa praised them lavishly over their catch, promising a lovely dinner, before returning to trying to teach Nevusa how to cook with not as much success.

"I know how to not set things on fire. If I really want something delicious, I'll go to you." Nevusa huffed. "Besides, the less I know how to cook, the less likely I'm going to be married off."

"Darling, knowing how to cook makes you intimidating." Drelasa said. "I can assure you that exactly _none_ of the men lined up for you know how to cook. If they rely on you, you can tell them they will starve. I promise you, they will fall over themselves to prevent that."

"Truth to that!" Ravenlight said cheerfully. "It wasn't my skill with a bow that finally persuaded my brothers to take me out on every hunting trip: it was the fact that I was the only one of them who could put the meat over a fire and _not_ turn it halfway to charcoal. Or all the way, in my brother Swiftdeer's case. That was the only time they went out without me after I got old enough to come." She glanced at Nevusa. "It's also a good skill to know just for yourself. When you're out somewhere in the wild, there's nothing like knowing how to set up a spit and make yourself something that you'll actually _want_ to eat, as opposed to just _have_ to eat in order not to starve."

"Road rations work." Nevusa said stubbornly.

"Alright. Listen to me." Drelasa turned to her, brandishing the spoon. "You won't be able to run from the arrangement forever. They will track you, you know this. However, go along with it. Play the part. Remember that? Play the part. Let them hire you a bodyguard. Go through the bodyguards until you find one you like and run off with him. You will be disowned, of course, but Nevano knows how to get in and out of that manor so you can visit your mother. I promise you...it works."

"Or run off with someone here." Ravenlight shrugged. "Plenty of good men among the Companions and the Dawnguard." She paused. "Not to mention the Blades, which I have been building back up in secret here for the past six years. There was a brief conflict over the dragons, but...I won out over that."

"Maybe..." Nevusa said slowly.

"Once Drizzt's back up on his feet, we'll be going to both. It really won't take more than a little bit of talking to get them ready; the Dawnguard already know something's up, and it won't take any persuading to get Isran to lead them to High Rock to take on the clans. And I became Harbinger of the Companions, after Kodlak Whitemane was killed." She paused a moment, her eyes briefly downcast, then continued. "And they'll be eager for a fight. I promise, they will hear 'half the vampires in Skyrim' as 'a good, refreshing challenge'. The problem there will be keeping them from charging in too fast and getting themselves killed. And the Blades have been _chafing_ to get out and make their presence known again. All I'll have to do is ask." She chuckled. "Though I probably won't go to _them_ on dragonback. There's a fine line between making a point and rubbing it in their faces."

"Hold on to mentioning the Blades. I want to see if it ends up being Masser or Secunda we peel Nevano off of." Drelasa said with a snort.

"Not a fan of them, is he?" Ravenlight shrugged. "Can't be worse than how the Greybeards reacted. Arngier actually went so far as to say that he'd rather let the world end at Alduin's claws than unbend and work with them, in almost that many words. And there were only two of them _left_ at that time."

"The Blades have found themselves involved in just about every major event ever since the empire formed." Drelasa said. "The Nerevarine Prophecies were no exception. When Nevano was dumped into Vvardenfell, he was given a Blade handler. Or rather, informed he had one. I will let you use your imagination on well _that_ went over. They ended up with a truce, albeit a rather uneasy one, but then the handler was abruptly recalled to the Imperial City before everything was done. Whatever good will had been built up was gone in that instant."

Ravenlight shook her head, shelling clams into hot butter. "Don't know if my experience would have been better or worse. Delphine had been in hiding as an innkeeper when she heard the Greybeards calling a new Dragonborn. She got into an old tomb-and how she got past that one door, I don't think I'll ever know, it all but required a specific Shout to pass-and took a horn that she knew the Greybeards would send me to find in order to make contact with me. She was hardened, suspicious, and practically seeing a Thalmor conspiracy behind every corner...but she was a survivor at the same time, and has proved extremely loyal. She's also been a surprisingly skilled emissary with smoothing over trouble between the Forsworn and the Nords in the Reach, which in my opinion is equal to working miracles."

"Every group has its positives...some are just much harder to see. _Much_ harder." Drelasa said. "While not all their methods are something I agree with, the Blades did not deserve the fate they received. The fact there are survivors is very telling on their skill and will."

"When it comes to the Thalmor, no one deserves what they...got..." Ravenlight's voice trailed off, and she frowned, rubbing her forehead.

"Are you alright, dear?" Drelasa asked

"Something struck me, about Thalmor and not deserving something...a memory, or the memory _of_ a memory." She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. "It's just out of reach, but I feel like it's important."

Nevusa and Drelasa exchanged a look.

"Agh, it's _right there_, but I can't see what it is." Ravenlight lowered her hands. "That's going to be niggling at me for a week now, unless something reminds me."

"Bad omen those." Nevusa said. "Only comes fully back the second after you need it to."

"I hope not." Ravenlight went back to the clams. "I think Nevano or Veleth may be able to help me remember; I'll ask once they're back."

"Speaking of...it's getting late and they don't need to be running around at night." Drelasa frowned.

"They absolutely do not." Ravenlight glanced at her. "You want me to send Serana after them? There are unfortunately a lot of places to get into trouble in the marsh."

"I have a way of telling them to get home." Drelasa closed her eyes, her hands forming invisible patterns in the air. Outside, the clouds gathered quickly and the wind picked up. A single roll of thunder sounded, nowhere near as terrible as the first time they heard it. Drelasa opened her eyes and the storm cleared as quickly as it came. "If they fail to heed that, I will send Serana with a switch. Watch them jump."

True to her words, it was not long before the door opened, and what sounded like a herd of mammoths hurried inside.

"I may or may not have almost struck them with lightning a time or two before..." Drelasa said delicately. "But that's the risk you run taking off like that. You might get struck by lightning."

"Especially when the weather is unpredictable," Ravenlight agreed. "I've seen it happen."

"Very." Drelasa hummed in agreement.

Nevusa didn't laugh. She had been in that group at the time. It had been the _one and only_ time they had ever ignored the first roll of thunder.

Ravenlight stepped out of the kitchen to assess the state of the men. "Supper's almost ready," she called. "There's water and basins in the back room. Get washed up, and if you've gotten muddy, leave the boots by the door, because if you track swamp mud across the house, I will use _you_ to clean it up."

"One, two, three..." Drelasa groaned. "Nevano..."

"Did any of you notice where he went?" Ravenlight asked, glancing over at Serana.

The vampire rose at her suggestion, ready to head out and find the last of the newcomers.

"He's just outside." Veleth said. "He's being twitchy."

Ravenlight frowned. "Any reason why, do you know?"

"Exactly why, no." He shook his head. "Just since you pulled that lich sludge from him."

Ravenlight sighed. "I'll go talk to him. Having had to endure it for a year...getting it removed might have revived some memories."

She pulled the crostata out of the oven and set it to cool, then walked out the door.

* * *

"Nevano?"

He hadn't wanted to go in quite yet. Not until the squirming feeling left. So when the others ran inside in a near panic, he had turned and gone down to the water's edge.

She didn't see him immediately; so she called on her magicka and cast a Detect Life spell, looking around until she spotted his blue-glowing form, down by the beach. "Ah. There you are." She released Detect Life and cast a magelight; the path down could be treacherous in the dark. Carefully, she picked her way down and walked across the dark sand to where he stood. "Everything all right?"

He glanced up at her. "Yeah."

She looked at his arm. "Arm still hurting?"

"No, it's fine." He held it up for her to see.

She reached out and brushed her fingers across it. "Feels properly healed; good." She glanced at him again, her eyes glinting slightly in the dim light. "Still having trouble from when Serana removed the taint, then? I know everything's not really 'fine'. If it was, you wouldn't be standing out here in the dark, when it's getting cold."

He squirmed a bit at that, the crawling feeling returning ten-fold.

"Was it that bad?"

"Too much touch, not enough permission." Was the best way he could think to sum it up.

"Nevano." Ravenlight turned to him. "If it had been up to you...would you have let any of us deal with that? I mean...you'd had a _year_ to mention it to Drelasa. There's no way you would have forgotten about it."

"Probably not." Nevano lifted on shoulder. "It was just there. It felt like a burn when I got it and then it was fine after that. I thought it was just that...a burn. I just didn't like looking at it. Threw me off when you said it was something else. Took Nerevar by surprise too."

"I wonder..." She glanced at him, then took the arm and brushed it lightly. "That other night, when I came down to find you on the verge of running off. How long have you been...dreading the thought of being close to others? I mean, so much so that you would rather run than have allies and friends?"

"A long time. Far longer than this thing." Nevano said quietly

"Hmm. Because I'm wondering if it might not have been...exacerbating it. Despair is a...common tool of creatures like that. I know because I've had to fight it in others. In Drizzt, in fact." She frowned a little. "I just remember feeling that something was wrong, back with-" She went rigid suddenly, her eyes widening. "_VEHKR'AIH!_"

He jumped back from her, heart pounding.

"I remember. Gods, I remember now!" She was starting to tremble. "Inside, now, they all need to hear this and I don't want to have to repeat it more than once. _Gods_, I can't believe-"

"Ok..." Nevano shifted a bit reluctantly

She wheeled and ran back for the door. "Come on!"

Still not fully sure, he followed at a slower pace.

* * *

**(Well, what might she have remembered? Story is going to start picking up after this, coupled with a pretty good twist. As always, let me know how you're enjoying this!)**


	11. No News is Bad News

**No News is Bad News**

Ravenlight did not quite burst inside, if only because she collected herself just enough to not scare Connlach before she ran in. But her face was wild and drawn as she ran in, and they all could tell something was wrong. She beckoned the adults into the kitchen, waiting just long enough for Nevano to join, and then closed the door. Nevano squished himself into a corner and waited.

Drelasa waited calmly, making sure dinner didn't burn while smacking an offending twin with her spoon for sneaking food. Both twins listened curiously though. By now they knew that when they were gathered up like this, it was about to get _really_ weird and _really_ interesting. Nevusa was split in her curiosity, still trying her best to help Drelasa without tripping over herself too much. Veleth was silent. He apparently hadn't quite worked out all his rage but enough of it so that he could stay quiet to listen.

"The situation in High Rock is a lot worse than we thought," Ravenlight said grimly. "Nevano and Veleth should both remember Mirdovek, the dragon we encountered while flying to the Ashlands. Last night, my dream tapped into his sight: they can do that, sometimes. I believe this was his way of checking in and letting me know he was doing as I had asked. While he was patrolling, I noticed a strange structure halfway between the ruin and the nearest town, that I knew hadn't been there before, and I had him fly low enough to look in." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "It was a rough shed: a roof and no walls. Shelter from the sun, but nothing else. Five Altmer were chained to poles in there, and I recognized the Thalmor official I'd spoken to-the one who'd offered to turn his men in the town to its defense against the vampires. They'd all been stripped completely, and had shallow cuts across their limbs. I can't remember if they looked as though they were still oozing or scabbed over.

"Then I saw what was happening at night. There were small groups of vampires coming to investigate the shed. They just never got there because I'd asked Mirdovek to pick off any stragglers from the horde, and he was happily using the prisoners in the shed as _bait_ to do just that."

Veleth leaned over and tapped Nevusa. She growled and pulled out a few gold coins and dropped them in his outstretched hand.

"Aside from the fairly obvious barbarity, I ask: what does it mean that the ones who were willing to protect against the vampires have been staked out in a sun-protected place, and then cut so that they're bleeding?" Ravenlight's eyes were grim.

"Besides bait?" Veleth pocketed the coins. "It's sending a rather loud message."

"First, it means that whoever staked them out there _knew_ about the vampires. And probably before we warned that one. Second, it means that they're either working with the vampires-or already a thrall."

"Almost assuredly a thrall," Serana said. "Either that, or they've been promised vampirism, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it."

"Maybe, but what is really in it for them?" Veleth asked. "Thalmor don't do anything unless there is a big gain. Too many drawbacks being a thrall...no offense." He nodded at Serana. "Promise of vampirism...and something more. What that something more is, I have no idea. But it'll be something huge...and something huge requires a huge price. It has to be something really bad for them to agree."

"Especially for that Mute..." Nevano said slowly. "Explains how he got behind me so fast."

"Maybe the power needed to win back what they've lost?" Ravenlight said quietly. "They're losing. Bad. Everywhere, all over Tamriel. It's undoubtedly what brought them to try to find the Armor of Wrath in the first place, when they didn't know what it was. Now, though, what I'm really wondering is if it's more sinister and more simple at the same time."

They all looked at her curiously, and she shrugged. "We know the Mistress of the crypt can speak in dreams. What if it's simply that, once she's well established in them, she can control whoever's dreaming about her? Nevano, you mentioned that lich-king had enthralled the living Ordinators. What if it's like that? If _she_ could control the Thalmor, even just the commanders...well, she's got a fairly powerful force under her control. Diminished, maybe-but still powerful. And anyone who threatened that force..."

"That thought is so unappealing...ugh." Veleth shifted. "Still, there's an element that's missing. The living Ordinators were so deeply under control they were no better than zombies. They had no control over themselves, didn't act like themselves. The Thalmor desire power but I don't see them being so desperate to willingly hand over any sort of control. There's _something_ else. I mean, I agree with your theory on this. There's something like it going on, but the _why_ of it is the most concerning. Even the Thalmor _have_ to know the mistress won't let them use the armor and will turn them into cattle."

"They have to have been offered something else then." Nevano said. "Something powerful enough to tempt them to take such a deal. I just have no idea what in High Rock would be so appealing. Kinda like trying to take over Morrowind. Why? We're still floundering in shit up to our chins with the volcano to the north, Argonians to the south and everything else in between. There was no sense in wasting all those resources for an ages-old grudge! But they did. We never figured out why they did but now I'm starting to wonder if them reaching to the far-flung provinces instead of keeping where they are strong is all connected. What connects all these?"

"Something in all the provinces to connect them..." Drelasa said quietly. "Something so powerful it tore a whole nation apart...wait, these ruins...what are they exactly? Where?"

"Northern High Rock. Not sure the region." Her son admitted. "Very rocky and steep. Wolves crawling everywhere."

"Rivenspire..." She said slowly. Suddenly her eyes went wide, the ruby red of her eyes seemed to blanch along with her skin. "I need to summon your father! _Now!_"

"Where would the best place for that be?" Ravenlight leaned forward, her own eyes sparking with alarm. "I will offer what I have."

"He answers best outside. I just need a candle to help him find us!" Drelasa quickly pulled everything off the fire and pushed through the shocked crowd. "Hurry!"

Ravenlight immediately took a candle from a side table and handed it to her. "The most sheltered spot from the winds is in the garden, to the east," she said. "The foundry is there, and the guest wing blocks the wind from the sea. Go!"

"Come. I want you all to hear as well." Drelasa hauled the nearest two, her son and a twin, with her. "If I'm right...and he won't mind an audience for this."

Ravenlight nodded, waiting just long enough to move the food out to the table, and instruct her children to help themselves.

Then she hurried outside with the others.

* * *

Drelasa ran outside to the garden, choosing a flat rock to set the candle. Kneeling in front of it, she took out the same black ring Nevano had been messing with the night before and set it on the rock. "_Yi daelah_, I know you are nearby. Come to me." She clenched a fist, opening what seemed to be a fissure in the air. Then, taking a pinch of ash, she threw it up. The ash seemed to catch the smoke from the candle and swirled furiously. From the fissure, through the ash, something came through. Far from being tense, as when anything else was pulled through to the mortal plane, there was a calming feeling to it. He was trying to reassure them.

"_Daelekil_, I know you've been watching them." Drelasa said. "What is the name of the ruins they found this relic in?"

"_Erokii."_ The spirit of Jorun Veleth said. Though the words were clear, it still sounded distant, as if he was yelling through a bad wind storm. "_Doomcrag."_

"Oh no... Gods..." Drelasa gripped the ground. "The Towers. It's the Tower, isn't it? That's what they are after!"

"_Only two remain."_ the spirit said. "_Doomcrag failed tower. Abagandra within. Beacon of death. Might be a key."_

"Even when gone from this plane you are still always right, you maddening thing." Drelasa said, fondness touching her voice. "Thank you. We can go from here. Return to rest, _yi daelah_."

Several emotions not their own touched everyone watching as the spirit faded away. A strong, steady encouragement and a touch of sadness.

Drelasa picked up the ring with a shaking hand. "My dear children...you seemed to have stumbled into a plot that, if successful, will make Dagoth Ur and Alduin look like a naughty boy playing with his pet lizard. Come inside. I...I might need a drink for this." Drelasa put a hand to her forehead. "Smug fetcher...even dead he was right. And not a good right."

"I don't have any sujamma," said Ravenlight, a slight hitch to her voice that suggested the tears that her eyes did not show, "but I do have some good mead, ale, and plenty of spiced wine, whichever sounds best to you.

Drelasa took her hand, doing her best to remain strong despite the slight shiver in her own hand. "Come, my dear child. I have much to tell you but knowing a clearer picture will make this better."

"Let's go sit down, and you might want to be closest to the fire." Ravenlight accepted her hand and stepped a little closer to her. "Frame it as a history lesson with big words, and while the older children will catch it, it will go right over Conn's head, which I...rather want. Come inside, _ammi_; I'll get you something strong."

Drelasa gave her a wan smile and followed her back in.

* * *

Once she was settled and had all those she now considered her children settled around her, she spoke.

"This takes quite a bit of explaining, for it involves much of our history. I'm rather sorry Drizzt is not awake to hear but this I cannot sit on until morning."

"First, I must explain my departed husband a bit. When I first met him, he couldn't read a word. It was just him and his father and, though his father was a good man, Jorun raised himself mostly. However, he had a mind like a steel trap and a love of history. He could recite whole history books word for word after hearing them only a few times. Once I taught him to read...he absolutely took off with it." She paused a moment, gathering her thoughts. "It led to...a lot."

"A year ago, Nevano collapsed right outside Blacklight and even quit breathing for a short while. All the muscles in his throat and chest had been momentarily paralyzed. Scared us all more than a little." Drelasa waved off Nevano and Veleth's irritable grunts. "What I removed from him was a shard. Blood red. And emitting a magical pulse. It was a piece of the Heart of Lorkhan. The Heart had been destroyed when Nevano ventured to Red Mountain some two hundred and fifty years ago. We thought it gone. We didn't know it had shattered. A piece had lodged in his chest. It had been inconsequential the whole time...until the Thalmor found the pieces, reassembled the Heart and reanimated it."

Ravenlight bit back a curse.

"Modyn and Nevano stopped them, which is how they met the Card'vel but...it struck a chord in Jorun." Drelasa said sadly. "He had really delved into more...theoretical history. For a man with absolutely no formal education he could put an entire college to shame. One of those topics are relics related to the very creation of Mundus. He had started to work on how it related to the Thalmor but...never got to finish it. I knew he had spoken of it but had no idea how deep he had looked until Modyn and I really went through the stashes he had hidden everywhere. Now... do you all know when the Third Aldmeri Dominion rose in power?"

"Vividly," Ravenlight answered. "Despite being nearly insane at the time. It was some ten years after their purge of Valenwood."

Drelasa nodded. "Coinciding with the end of the Oblivion Crisis. Now, Summerset Isles, at the time, suffered enormous losses. Oblivion gates had devastated them to a horrific degree. Kvatch has more public as everyone's attention was on Cyrodiil but...horrific stories poured in. Jorun, Nevano and I were too busy slaughtering demons ourselves but later we heard. Summerset was so beset, the Crystal Tower was destroyed."

"That was when they invaded southern Tamriel...starting with Valenwood." Drelasa's eyes hardened. "It wasn't until the incident with the Heart that Jorun saw the pattern. When I read his notes...I didn't understand. I do now. Brilliant man, he predicted this, though not the vampires' involvement. There are eight towers across Tamriel. No one knows their exact purpose, hence theoretical history, but they are linked to creation. All creation. They are Ada-Mantia, Crystal-Like-Law, Red Tower, Walk-Brass, Green Sap, White Gold, Snow Throat and Orichalc. Sound familiar?"

"Yes," Ravenlight answered, her throat starting to tighten with horror. "There's a tower in the Greybeard's monastery, on the Throat of the World. And Green Sap...one of the great trees in Valenwood had a name very similar. And of course, I shouldn't have to lay out the Crystal and White-Gold. The others...I'm not familiar with."

"Red Tower...is Red Mountain. Walk-Brass is the mechanical god that the Dwemer and, later, Dagoth Ur, tried to build. Orichalc is...a mystery and Ada-Mantia...is the greatest and first. The Adamantine Tower. In High Rock."

"Gods, Jorun..." Nevano shook his head. "How did you ever find this...?"

Veleth's face had paled to an unhealthy degree.

"No wonder they said that the other Daedric Lords are actually _alarmed_ about this," Ravenlight whispered. She fought the urge to gather her children to herself: so far, Connlach was still ignoring everything, focused on his dinner, and she didn't want him scared.

"Now, Crystal is destroyed. So are Red and Brass, thanks in no small part to Nevano." Drelasa continued. "Leaves us with five towers. Now, all these towers require a key. The Heart of Lorkhan was key to Red and Brass. The Amulet Of Kings was another. Snow is...strange. Jorun indicated that only half was known. A stone. The other half I _think_ he said was Alduin. Green-Sap's was known but, through a bloody history, is missing. With the keys lost, the towers are defunct. Seeing as how some of these keys are destroyed, the towers are worthless. Which leaves is with Ada-Mantia and Orichalc. No one even knows where Orichalc even is so… Ada-Mantia." Drelasa shook her head. "Jorun saw that the Thalmor were not randomly taking over provinces with little strategic value. The weak excuses of Talos worship and old grudges are that...excuses. They were after the Towers."

"A stone..." Ravenlight considered, then her eyes widened. "Don't tell me it's the Dragonstone!"

"I don't know. This is where I needed Jorun. This is where his notes ended." Drelasa gripped her cup. "When you started going on...the ruins you found are called Doomcrag. It is thought it is a failed tower. Once was a tower and a pinnacle of Ayleid civilization...it held something called Light of Life. After conflict killed the inhabitants and the tower, it was corrupted. Becoming Abagandra...a beacon of death. What you heard Jorun say...Abagandra is being used to call the vampires. It is in the hands of the Mistress, for even she isn't powerful enough to call vampires the world over. Abagandra is her beacon...and the key to Ada-Mantia. The Thalmor allied themselves to her...and in return I'll bet everything I own she'll give them the key if she keeps the relic."

"Or that's what she's stringing them along with." Serana shook her head. "Trust me, I understand vampires. The Thalmor do not disdain the other races the way vampires disdain _all_ races. She's assuredly playing them, whether she has any designs on the Tower or not. Once they found out what was going on, she offered them the key in return for their allegiance: but I believe that the second she has them where she wants them, she'll stab them in the back." She grimaced. "And while that might _sound_ pleasant, it will mean she has complete control of the Thalmor and all their resources."

"I think I might be sick..." Veleth muttered.

"The Thalmor have a backup plan." Nevano remembered. "They are expecting it. But the problem is...we got two nasty groups making a power play for quite possibly the most powerful object in this plane of existence...actually, most planes of the daedra lords are losing it. Molag Bal is making a bid to be king among them, wielding power...even he can't control. I remember Jorun mentioning that these things...are what created the Daedra and Aedra!"

"By the-" Ravenlight physically bit her tongue to keep from swearing. She regained control with difficulty. "In other words, we've got the worst possible of all scenarios rearing its head, no matter _who_ comes out on top. Shor's bones and _Histsap_. I don't know if we can afford to spend much time trying to raise armies with that going on-but at the same time, without the armies..."

"I'll send the hawks," Serana interjected. The others turned to look at her. "One of the Dawnguard is a Bosmer woman, and she's as skilled with birds as Gunmar is with larger animals. She's got trained hawks all over Skyrim. The Dawnguard have been using them to send messages to each other, but they can be used to travel to other places. She's got them able to recognize Hold capitols, and we've managed to get agents in all the Holds."

"That'll cut down on travel time," Ravenlight said. "All right. Serana, I'm going to write letters to everyone I've got contact with here in Skyrim, detailing what's going on and where to meet. Tomorrow morning, call the hawks, and I'll send the letters out."

"Is there a way to get ahold of the Imperial Armies?" Drelasa asked. "All my Armigers were pulled from Cyrodiil and they have no love for us after we ate their cavalry horses. They are still one of the most powerful armies in Tamriel. They might even still stop the Thalmor."

"Yes, through Elisif and Vittoria Vici. Elisif is a strong supporter of the Empire, and Vittoria is a cousin of the Emperor. I'll have them send word to him the fastest way possible to be on the lookout for me. And _I_ will be going to Cyrodiil myself. I know Titus Mede II." She paused. "After a stop in High Rock that I do not expect any of you to really agree with."

"If it helps, we are in no position to say otherwise..." Veleth said

"Look at it this way, they'll have information we may not be able to get any other way."

He shook his head. "Do it. This is the point where I say that there even needs to be a ceasefire between Morrowind and Blackmarsh."

* * *

Nevano listened but only half-heard them. He was completely overwhelmed by the enormous information dump and his unwitting involvement. That; and he knew what else he needed to do for his contribution in ending it. While they continued to talk, he slipped back outside. It was getting cold but it felt so much better. Strange, feeling safer outside than in.

* * *

Ravenlight didn't notice him slipping out. She had too much already to process: Connlach was, as usual, starting to fall asleep at the table, dinner needed cleaning up, and she was silently laying out what it was she wanted to write to the leaders of the various Holds, as well as the unaffiliated allies. In all honesty, she really wanted Drizzt; but not enough to go upstairs and wake him.

Veleth stopped her. "Kids and letters. We got the rest."

She smiled at him in relief. "Thank you."

Connlach was easy to manage: he was still small enough to lift out of his seat and carry up to bed. Blaise and Lucia were old enough to know to help with the clean-up before heading off to bed themselves. She wasn't sure how much they had understood of what the adults had been discussing, but she did notice that both of them were unusually quiet as they rose from the table.

With Connlach bedded down, Ravenlight took a bowl of Drelasa's stew-which smelled heavenly-and a slice of crostata back with her to her private table. There, she pulled out ink, quill, and several rolls of paper.

She had a lot of writing to do before the evening was done.

* * *

(**And the bombshells have been dropped, and the overarching plot revealed! As always, let me know what you think. I really do love hearing from you guys!)**


	12. A Painful Gift

**Spoilers for 'Dungeons and Dragonborn' below! **

* * *

**A Painful Gift**

The sun sank below the horizon and the stars began to appear in the sky. A creature called in the distance. At the point of sunset, right before the world was plunged into the dark of night, a single point of light flared up at the horizon. Directly above it, Masser, curved sharply in a crescent phase, seeming to glow brighter.

Ravenlight, sitting at her desk with several candles burning near, looked up sharply as she sensed..._something_. She wasn't sure what. Overhead, in her room, Drizzt called out softly. Drelasa looked up from her reverie of the fire and half-rose, her ears cocked upstairs. He quieted again immediately; but Ravenlight couldn't shake the sense that he'd just reacted to the same thing she had. She wondered what it was...but there was no time to investigate, not yet. Not with the most important letter only half-done. She sighed, sat back down, and bent over her letter to Elisif.

_"Azura edur muhrikam khardafi._" Drelasa murmured, looking out the window to the point of light still lingering.

* * *

Serana walked outside. The night made her restless: she could move around during the day, and did; but the night called to her as few things did. She gazed at the unusually bright point of light, and then up at the moon, her lips parting. She'd become...accustomed to Azura in the past few years, as her friendship with Drizzt and Ravenlight had become stronger. But this was the first time she'd seen the Daedra's presence appear so strongly.

Directly below, Nevano sat on his knees by the water, his eyes reflecting a bright gold as he fixated on the moon and star. His ring reflected the light as brightly as if the sun was on it. Nevano had stripped to the waist, the scars on his back like white spider webs. He was twisting his boot knife in his hands. His expression was blank and his eyes seemed unfocused, as if his mind was far from his spot by the water.

Serana was drawn to the spot, making sure to stay back, but watching, curious. She stopped some distance back, seating herself on a handy rock, wondering what he was going to do.

_"Eri ist edur ku'ilm Os'am mugad..."_ He murmured. His eyes came more into focus and he sucked in a deep breath. Slowly he held out his left arm. The light from the star flared and seemed to trace a pattern on his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly before tracing the patterns with his knife.

Serana drew closer, watching in almost horrified fascination. The scent of his blood flooded out; she ignored it. It had been a long time since she was in danger of losing herself to her hunger. What drew her now was the feeling of..._power_ being invoked through his spilling his own blood.

Nevano carefully carved both arms, somehow not hesitating though his expression betrayed just how painful it was. When he finally dropped the knife, his hands were shaking, blood dripping everywhere. He carefully slid his ring off his blood-soaked hands and held it up. His two swords, lying next to him, flared brightly in red and blue flames before dying down again. Nevano slumped then, gasping in pain.

Serana came up cautiously, not sure if he was completely finished. Restoration magic was beyond her, no matter how hard she tried it, but she had managed to twist a few of her natural abilities to the point that, while they weren't truly healing, they could stop blood loss and combat pain. She stretched her hands out to him as she came close.

"Um...may I?"

He shook his head. "Leave it..." His voice was thin and strained. "Just...help me get the blood off? I don't want...Ravenlight to...kill me over this..."

Serana hesitated for a moment, not sure precisely what to do. Then she pulled off her cloak and soaked it in the lapping seawater, wringing it out and using it to sponge the blood off his forearms. She used just a little of her power to stop more blood from leaving the injuries as she washed them. "Sorry," she said. "I know saltwater hurts. But...it cleans better, somehow. What were you doing?"

"We needed...the help..." Nevano swayed. "So I asked...Azura..."

Serana put her arm around him. "Here. Lean against me for a minute. Did you eat earlier?"

He slumped against her. "No I...I didn't."

"Oh, not good. Blood loss is worse on an empty stomach somehow." She supported him effortlessly. "Do you think you can make it up to the house? You may have spilled a little too much blood to her; you're going to be weak for a little while, and you need to eat right away."

"I'll be okay...just need to sleep." Nevano tried to get his feet under him but it was like watching a newborn foal. "Won't die...after this..."

"Food first." She watched him fumble, then lifted him up as if he weighed nothing. "Then sleep. Maybe you won't die, but you could get sick, and you don't need that, either."

"Only die if...Ravenlight finds out...Or 'Lasa..." Nevano murmured

"I can get you past them. If I can sneak a bleeding thrall past a blood-starved ancient, I can get you past them. I'll take you to the guest wing and get you bedded down." She looked at him sternly. "But I will only do so on one condition: that you then eat whatever it is I bring you. All of it."

"I'll try..."

"All right, then."

"Thank you...for not panicking..." Nevano muttered, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open.

"I've seen worse," she answered simply.

* * *

Serana was true to her word. Ghosts were noisier than the way she walked up to the house, and somehow she managed to slip through a door opened barely a few inches, even with Nevano held close to herself. Whenever she moved, someone or something else was moving first: a child, another person, or even the wind outside. She had also turned both of them invisible, so moving was easier, even in the light. Her feet made no noise at all on the floor, and he couldn't tell if that was because her footsteps were magically muffled, or because she moved so lightly. She slipped by on the other side of the large room from Drelasa, who might have been suspicious, but didn't get up or appear to notice as they moved past; Ravenlight, muttering to herself as she scratched the quill across yet another piece of paper, didn't even look up.

They had a fortuitous moment when Veleth opened the door to the guest wing, allowing her to slip in directly after him; and though he turned quickly, he saw nothing, and simply muttered something about a draft. She chose a bed near the far end of the wing and settled him down in it.

"Now," she ordered, "I'm going to bring you something to eat and drink. And even if you can't finish it, you make a strong attempt to, or I will let _both_ Ravenlight and Drelasa know what I found you doing."

_"Nei, muthsera._" He said. He leaned back against the pillow, happy to have something to hold his spinning head for him.

Serana touched his forehead, then slipped off. She was back in less than five minutes with a heaping bowl of the night's stew, still hot, and a glass of spiced wine. She set them down on the bedside table, then sat beside him. "Can you eat by yourself, or are you too weak already?"

As if in response, his stomach growled loudly.

She pushed the stew toward him, and placed the glass in his hand. "Drink first," she advised. "Though not too much. It's a fairly strong wine."

He didn't feel the need to burden her with the knowledge that he had more than a little affinity for strong alcohol. It wasn't a _problem_ per say. He could go a while without drinking, unlike other true drunks he knew of. Veleth just needed to hush over it. This wine, while definitely sweeter than his usual drink of choice, was still pretty good. He tried not to scare her by draining it.

"Good," she said, nodding. "All right. Stew now. I'll get you some more wine once I've seen at least half of that bowl disappear; better if it's more than half."

Obediently, he fell to eating, first a few hesitant bites but then scarfing when his stomach demanded he fill it as fast as possible. Some days he swore Drelasa put moon sugar in her stews to keep them coming for more.

However...he had to admit Serana was right. He felt far more alert by the time he was finished. Enough so that he was able to fully process just what Serana had done for him. "Thank you. Really, I mean it. That was...well, it was something but it took more out of me than I realized..."

"I understand. I've never seen anything quite like _that_, but..." She smiled fondly, glancing over her shoulder. "Well, I've been friends with Drizzt and Ravenlight for a long time. I was locked up for a long while, admittedly, but...I'd never seen anyone so unhesitatingly self-sacrificing as those two. I learned a lot about taking care of others...and about being taken care of...just in the first few months I traveled with them. They...they taught me well." She took the bowl and the cup. "Shall I get you more? Or are you strong enough to come back to the kitchen for it yourself now?"

"Scar-if-i-cation." He sounded out the unfamiliar word carefully. "Marks that'll help when we get ass deep in trouble. The twins can tell you more than I can. I simply asked Azura what I could do." He followed her gaze. "I don't...trust others easily. Actually, Dunmer as a whole don't. But they wormed their way in pretty quick. Far faster than...anyone else really, save for maybe Veleth. I got to agree...they know how to teach someone how to trust."

"You've suffered a lot then, too?" Serana sighed. "I...I really only think I trusted them at first because I didn't have another choice. My mother had...locked me away for nearly five thousand years, and the world had changed so much that I was...almost helpless to figure out what to do or where to go. They brought me to my-well, my _clan's_-home. Without hesitation. And Ravenlight was honest when I asked her about why: she told me that her home, the town of Whiterun, had been attacked twice by vampires that she suspected were from my clan, and she wanted a look at their stronghold. But they didn't ask anything of me while they were guiding me there, even though...even though they would have been justified in it. Ravenlight was…she was hurt, waking me up. But they didn't blame me."

"And then, when I sought them out afterward, it was...still because I had nowhere else to go. The trouble with my father, that had caused my mother to lock me away in the first place, hadn't gone away, and I...I had no friends among my clan. I didn't know if they would be more than just...tolerant of me. But I think I would have accepted being used at that point." She blinked. "I didn't expect them to...to befriend me. Let alone to..." She took a deep breath. "Ravenlight began calling me her cousin after two months. I'd never...never felt that way before."

Nevano sat up and turned so his bare back was to her. The scars started at his neck and continued down past his belt. There was hardly a patch of skin not marred by the white stripes. "I know. All too well. When you find those that are willing to take you as you are...they are more than a little special. They deserve far more than I can give."

She stroked his back with the same gentleness that Ravenlight had while he'd been a cat and riding Odahviing. "You know, I felt that way too." Her voice was low. "I-I'm a vampire. We're not...designed to give, only to take. I'd always...hated it. I had everything that was precious to me ripped away to become a vampire: my family, my little sister, my mother, my..." She hesitated, then forced the words out. "My virginity... everything was taken from me. I got power...and I clung to it. I still cling to it. Something to replace all those things I'll never get back. But I hated what I was. I hated that I had to-take, just to live." She paused. "They showed me that I still had a way to give back. Not just to them. To others. It...couldn't replace what Molag Bal took from me. Not completely. But it could...fill the holes."

"You and I...aren't so different." He said slowly. "Replace vampire with slave and highly unwilling so-called hero. Most others...just want to see what they can get from you. How useful you can be in mind and body. Then, for some reason, get upset when we fight to live. We hate it but it's all we got and it chips away at you...until just that one comes along and it's like… seeing outside for the first time. Won't fully fill the cracks we and others made but it's something. It's something far better than what it was. Most days it's enough. Others you go and beg a daedra prince for help and carve designs on yourself in the hope of helping someone just a little."

"Because...when you find those who are willing to take you by the hand, even as you are, and bring you out...it's worth it. Anything's worth it." She smiled tremulously, tracing the designs he'd just carved into himself. "When Ravenlight was taken by the Thalmor...we didn't know. We had no idea what had happened to her. She'd just...disappeared, and we were frantic. I didn't...know what to do. We were hunting for her and everything was just coming up blank."

"I knew she was...favored by Meridia. So I went to her temple and begged for her help." Serana swallowed. "I told her...I told her I'd offer my own life, if necessary, if she would just show us where she was."

"That's saying a lot for a vampire to beg Meridia. Even more than you are here telling me about it." Nevano...didn't mind her touch so much. He surprised himself by admitting to it. "I haven't lost Veleth yet so I couldn't tell you exactly what I'd do but...it'd be move out of my way or die."

"That's how Drizzt was. Meridia...said something I still don't understand; about how, even in a vampire, a willing heart was more valuable than any sacrifice. Then she told me to go to the Bard's College, and that we'd learn what we needed there." Serana looked down. "I...don't tell them about that, please...about Meridia's temple. They don't know. I went there alone."

"A willing heart...heh, I think I get what she meant. Almost a low blow to hear it, depending on who you are." Nevano met her eyes. "No worries I'll blab. I've mastered the art of doing the insane and stupid on my own. Sneak out when they sleep. Pisses them off to no end...though ya move far faster and quieter than me."

"How do you think I got away from my father?" There was a slight touch of bitterness in her smile when she said that. "But thank you. I'll try to return the favor, and in more than just this. Do you still want to sleep, or are you feeling stronger now?"

He gave her a rueful smile. "Same way I ran away from slave owners...only I had less success. I think I'm going to try to kill the Dunmer population in the house with shock by being asleep by the time they get in here. I feel stronger but just...drained. Sleep sounds amazing."

She smiled. "Get some rest then. I'll go make sure Ravenlight doesn't stay up all night; she does that sometimes, when she's worried." She gathered up the bowl and cup, and left the guest wing as noiselessly as she'd entered.

Nevano dug his bag out and quickly wrapped his arms in spare pieces of leather. He didn't want to be woken by screeching at some random hour over his arms. He sank back down, curling into the smallest ball possible with his back to the wall, finally feeling comfortable enough to sleep despite the ache. Azura sure knew how to exact a price...though maybe he made a new friend in the process.

* * *

As she'd expected, Serana found Ravenlight propping her head on one hand as she stared blankly at the half-finished letter in front of her. She carefully removed the quill from unresisting fingers. "Ravenlight," she said, a hint of scolding in her voice, "if you can't find the words, that means you've been at it too long. You need to rest at least a few hours."

"Can't," she said, her voice thick with exhaustion. "Gotta finish this." She tried to pick up the quill again.

"No." Serana covered the quill. "You can finish in the morning. You've already written, what? Five letters? You're more than halfway through. The others can wait until you've had some sleep, and the words will both come more easily then, and make sense. Come on." She coaxed the Bosmer to her feet. "Bed now."

Drelasa, listening carefully, shooed her brood off to bed as well. She had a tiny bottle in her pocket to help convince any stragglers.

Serana shooed Ravenlight along. About halfway up the stairs, the Bosmer paused. "Drizzt," she mumbled, remembering. "In my bed."

"For heaven's sake. Has that made any difference before?" Serana shook her head. "I know you two like to cuddle when you're stressed, or when one of you has been hurt; and both apply now. You're stressed, and he was hurt. Go on; you could probably both use the reassurance; to know the other is there and all right. Off with you now. Go on."

* * *

Just about everyone else finally went off to bed...except Veleth. Nothing unusual there. Sleep had never been his friend. He started when he realized he wasn't alone. Serana stood, watching him curiously, still as a statue.

"Can you not sleep?"

"No. Nothing unusual there." He recovered quickly enough. Those intense eyes were a bit unnerving. "Sleep has eluded me since...well, as far back as I can remember. After hearing about the Towers and the summoning...if I sleep at all I'll consider it lucky."

"That's...not usual, for a mortal. At least, from what I know." She sat down, briefly glancing away from him. "Do you know why?"

"My father is...was the same way. Drove my mother to distraction when I was a child." Veleth shrugged his slip-up off. "He taught me to play chess and we'd play during such nights. I rarely beat him though."

"Well...if it's both of you, I suppose it's not too severe." She frowned in contemplation. "Isran is the same way. Though I think he's trained himself not to sleep."

"Happens often to those with a lot on their mind, I guess." He said. "On Solstheim I'd just run patrols outside the Bulwark. Much quieter than listening to the twins snore all night. Never knew twins could snore in unison..."

She giggled softly. "Wait until you hear Farkas and Vilkas. Twin _bears_. I truly don't understand how anyone else in the mead hall can sleep while those two are resting in there."

Veleth rolled his eyes. "I got a few in that I eventually had to put on shifts that had them sleeping during the day purely for my own sanity...and their safety because either I was going to smother them with a pillow or another of my men was going to shank them!"

"Sometimes it's like that in Fort Dawnguard, too." She considered. "Though...that might be because of the dogs. And the trolls. Though I'm pretty sure Gunmar and the Orcs are having _contests_ in their sleep."

"Dogs...orcs...and, pardon, did you say _trolls_?" Veleth blinked. "The things that smell like shite and candy at once? The ones that go out of their aggressive way to kill whatever moves in their territory? Those trolls?"

"Gunmar trains trolls," Serana said. "They're...a little alarming, but he has them under control. I don't know _how_, but he does."

"I will never make fun of my mother's dog again..." he said, a bit wide eyed.

"What kind of dog does she have?" Serana appeared truly interested. "I'm not familiar with many breeds; just wolfhounds and the wolf-like dogs the Dawnguard breeds to fight vampires." She paused. "And...death hounds, but I don't think those...count."

"I have no idea what to call this thing." Veleth frowned. "Enormous, looks like it's melting. Her jowls are halfway to her knees. Drools all over and likes to eat anything leather. She'll share dog toys with my son and tear the ass off a Thalmor."

"Well." Serana blinked. "That's...definitely not one of the kinds I know."

"I haven't the foggiest where my mother _found_ this thing. No one does. She won't say." Veleth tilted his head. "Watch the stupid thing be a daedra."

"I'm not sure I know of any Daedra who'd admit to having something like that." She frowned. "It might be an Akaviri breed; I vaguely remembering finding a book that may have mentioned something like that in the Bard's College once. It was on Akavir culture; mostly rumors and unsupported hearsay, of course; no one's actually _been_ to Akavir since I was locked away, so anything I might have known about it is no longer true."

"I wouldn't put it past my mother to have figured a way to get that kind of puppy..."

"She is very strong-willed." Serana smiled. "But...the good kind of strong-willed."

He smiled at first then blanched a little. " You haven't seen her angry. She'd make Odahviing piss himself."

"But even angry...it's for someone, isn't it?" Serana gazed into the fire. "Because someone she loves was...stupid, or someone else hurt them. She wouldn't...I know what the bad kind of strong-willed is. Both of my parents were."

"True, very true..." Veleth conceded. "However, when it starts thundering...I'm not sticking around!"

"I suppose I can't blame you for that." Serana stood. "I'm going to keep patrolling around the house; sometimes draugr from the tomb further up the coast make it down here during the night, and I don't want to risk it right now."

"Nothing moving yet." Veleeth stared at the fire. "nothing bad anyway."

"Oh...you can sense it, then?" A fresh curiosity sparked her gaze. "I remember...you did that earlier, too. How?"

"I have...a sixth sense, I'd guess you'd call it." Veleth said. "More like I got this little raging monster in the pit of my belly that gets excited when it senses the slightest chance of something to fight."

"Oh." Serana grimaced. "It sounds...almost like the way I felt when I used to get bloodstarved."

"It's...useful. In it's own way." He said

"It could be," she agreed. "I would become very...aware of what was around me. What was living; what was not. The problem was, I became aware because I desired to...exploit it, somehow."

"Interesting...For hating each other Boethiah and Molag Bal instill similar traits in their favorites."

"I've heard that the ones who hate each other the most don't hate each other for the differences." Serana said slowly. "The ones that truly, _truly_ hate each other are the ones that are...similar in some ways. It would be why Azura and Meridia don't hate Molag Bal as much as Boethiah does. Azura and Meridia are very different. But Boethiah is...similar. If you don't mind my saying that."

"Not at all. I'm not your typical daedra worshipper. I can appreciate that explanation. Would certainly explain quite a bit." Veleth said. He pulled a piece of the Ebony Mail over, inspecting it for any repairs needed. "I guess in some ways, even Daedric Princes are much like us. Need to prove they're better...even if the matches are based on characteristics that are...well, I can think of better things to argue over."

"I've wondered about it off and on for a while," Serana admitted. "Ever since Meridia..." She halted and glanced at him, then shifted uncomfortably. "Well...something happened once that...wasn't what I expected."

"They don't do expected things." He pretended to not notice her shift, keeping his gaze fully on inspecting his armor. "Though I often wonder why they choose who they do. Seems their favorites are ones who either don't fully worship them or even reject them outright."

"That would be Ravenlight." She paused. "And...I guess me, in an odd way. Ravenlight does prefer Aedra; she calls on Talos, and Kynareth, and she has...almost a sort of relationship with Akatosh, judging by the way she speaks to his shrine downstairs when she doesn't know anyone else is listening. But half the Daedra have reached out to try and claim her. She rejects most of them, but it's never seemed to stop them from trying."

"She's powerful. It's an allure they don't like to pass up. That she rejects them just intrigues them." Veleth frowned as he poked at a hole in the leather. He pulled a small kit out and pulled out a needle. "They have hordes of begging worms who would throw themselves on their own knives at a word. Having to work for it I think relieves them of boredom." He glanced up at the fire as it hissed. "I see I wasn't far off where Boethiah is concerned..."

"How so?"

"Rage beast is a bit smug. I told Boethiah no for months before she dropped me into her bloody little tournament." Veleth said flatly, stabbing the needle into his armor a bit harsher than strictly necessary. "However, she waited until I didn't have armor, a weapon and I was barefoot the whole time. Proving a daedra wrong is...not quite a victory when they are _amused_ over it."

"No, it wouldn't be." She shivered a little. "She's had...real trouble with some of them. I'm a little worried, sometimes, over what's going to happen when they try for her again. Hermaeus Mora is the worst. He...forced her to deal with him, during that whole debacle with Miraak in Skyrim. She was furious over it for months. And there are times I think that he...might try for her again. I don't know what she'll do if he does."

"Easy answer is to find which lord he's feuding with and enlist their favor." Veleth said. "Though...usually it's Vaermina. Not exactly a good exchange...there is _one_ you could appeal to..."

"Vaermina won't work." Serana shook her head. "She _hates_ Ravenlight. Honestly, I have more reason for nightmares, and I wake up screaming far less often than she does."

"No. Not sure how she has any followers, really. There is another. We call him the Black Knight, though most others know him as Ebonarm." Veleth said, inspecting his repair job. "I'm not entirely certain _what_ Ebonarm is. He's not a typical daedra, seeing as how he hates them. He's not an aedra seeing as how he tends to meddle more. Still, if she ends up in danger from some nasty, that's an option. And, of course, Nevano and I would happily help. We have no problem telling a Daedra Prince to go back to their fecking realm."

"Ebonarm..." Serana gazed into the distance, committing the name to memory. "I _will_ remember that. Just in case." She smiled at Veleth. "And I'll remember the two of you, as well. She can get into a lot of trouble; it's good to know there are people willing to help."

Veleth sighed dramatically. "You met Nevano. I swear, if they were of the same race I'd accuse them of being long lost siblings because they can't seem to _stop getting into fecking trouble._ Vith..."

"I don't think it's quite the same." Serana seemed to be trying to hide a smile. "Similar, definitely. But Nevano...appears to like poking into things. Like a cat. Ravenlight sees someone in trouble and then steps between them and whatever's causing them trouble."

"Both require one to start screaming 'What were you thinking?!' while plugging up bleeding holes afterwards." Veleth said flatly. "Or to get creative in digging them out. Case in point." Veleth pointed out the window to faint glow remaining where the bright star had been. "He did something. How badly do I want to know what that something is, I haven't decided yet."

"I don't think you want to know," Serana said, shifting a little again. "But...he did it to help. Above anything else, he did it to help."

"Then I won't flip the bed on him." Veleth nodded. "Can't say my mother won't. But that he did...he's come to like the lot of you. There's the difference in that Ravenlight will step up for everyone. Nevano doesn't like the world...but he'll save it for the small handful he can't bear to see hurt."

"I may be more like Nevano," Serana admitted. "There's...a lot about the world I don't like. But I've been given enough to...to badly want to give back."

Veleth was quiet for a long moment before nodding. "I can't say so much as my very job is to look after everyone, good, bad and indifferent. But I know Nevano well enough that I can see _why_."

"You'll meet the others in the Dawnguard soon, I think." Serana stared at the fire, willing herself to add another log to the dying flames. "It might explain a lot, too. And...take Isran with a grain of salt. He's not actually as...bad as he seems. Or at least as bad as he used to be." She smiled a little at Veleth and rose, without tending to the fire. "I do need to get out and wander a little bit. Try to rest up, at least; I get the impression that tomorrow is going to be hectic."

He nodded. "I'll be fine. Two nights on minimal sleep is nothing. I'm rather looking forward to meeting the Dawnguard. Ravenlight and Drizzt have talked so much about it."

Serana smiled. "They're an interesting bunch." She picked up her cloak from where it had been drying in front of the fire, wrapped it around her shoulders, and went out into the night.

* * *

**As always, let me know what you think!**


	13. Calls and Clarifications

**Calls and Clarifications**

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Though stressed, most everyone slept deeply, save the few that seemed to reject sleep as a whole. The sun had lit the sky up by the time anyone managed to wake up.

Drizzt was the first to stir, feeling considerably better than he had been yesterday, if sore-muscled...and a little squashed. He glanced around, noting Guenhwyvar to one side of him and Ravenlight to the other with a smile, and gently shifted to try not to wake Ravenlight. Even sleeping, there were dark circles under her eyes, and it was clear she needed more than she'd currently had.

The youngest of them all was already awake, of course; but he was being entertained by Veleth, who telling a few child-safe stories of Morrowind's more exciting history bits. Not much else was moving just yet.

Serana entered the house about fifteen minutes into the stories, shivering a little; the night had grown cold, and the sunlight's touch was still a little uncomfortable to her. She smiled as she heard Veleth speaking with Connlach, and went to the table in the back, to see how far Ravenlight had got on her letters before she'd passed out. She discovered, somewhat to her surprise, that only two had not been written: the one for Isran, and one for Madanach. However, there was one for Delphine, which asked her to get in touch with Madanach and tell him what was going on, and ask if the Forsworn would be willing to lend what aid they could to the cause; and Isran...well. Serana smiled. She could handle Isran herself.

Connlach started asking questions that Veleth was delighted to answer. Apparently, it wasn't just the departed elder Veleth that had a keen mind for history. Drelasa made an appearance not too long after that. Connlach grinned at her and started giving her a...fairly garbled account of what he'd been learning, obviously having the small child's ability to put story pieces together upside-down and backwards. Veleth was hard-pressed not to laugh as he heard the small boy repeat what he'd just told him...in a nearly unrecognizable fashion. Drelasa sank into a nearby chair and listened to him seriously as he was telling her everything, asking him questions and exclaiming in the right places, enthralled in his version of events.

This lasted up until Drizzt came downstairs, having managed to discover a pair of trousers but no shirt just yet. He stopped to listen; but the second Connlach saw him, he broke off mid-word and launched himself toward him. Drizzt laughed and caught him.

"I'm all right, little one," he soothed, stroking the small boy's hair.

Drelasa looked him over. "You look much better after a good night's rest."

"I _feel_ much better. A little sore still, but..." He shrugged. "Well, as you can see, the burns have healed."

"It's a rough one but it always works." She said then stood. "I'll get a quick breakfast going. Might not have time for much else unfortunately."

"I understand." He glanced over his shoulder. "Something tells me she's going to growl at me for not waking her up right away, but she needs the rest. She looked absolutely exhausted. What happened after I went to sleep?"

"Remember how we couldn't answer _why_ all this happening?" Veleth asked, very mindful of small ears. "We got a few answers and...well, the past three major crises in Tamriel's history look like minor incidents in comparison."

"Delightful." Drizzt grimaced, then smiled down at Connlach. "You're going to have to get down eventually; I'm not dressed." Connlach just clung a little tighter.

Veleth laughed. "After yesterday, can't really blame him."

Serana laughed from where she was watching from the side. "Connlach _adores_ his uncle. I sometimes wonder if he thinks Drizzt is one of the Divines unfairly left out of the pantheon."

"_Malathif panthi._" Veleth said with a smirk.

Drizzt walked into the cottage area, talking. "I really need to get dressed. But, if you'll let me down, I'll go out and train with you for about an hour. Just you, not Blaise or anyone else, all right?" A moment later, Connlach reappeared in the main living area, running over to a chest and pulling a wooden sword out of it, trembling with eagerness.

Veleth grinned. In all honesty...he was greatly looking forward to the day he could do this with his own son.

* * *

A few moments after the outside door closed, the stairs creaked a little and Ravenlight appeared, looking...somewhat wilder than usual. "Let me guess: Connlach's up, and he found his uncle right away."

"He's been up for...not quite an hour." Veleth said. "They're outside practicing."

"I figured." She came down all the way and moved toward the kitchen, one hand rising to try and comb her hair down a little. "I swear, Connlach could find him anywhere on the plane if he wanted to. It's almost uncanny: Drizzt literally cannot hide from him. We've discovered that while playing hide and seek. He can practically disappear from sight when he wants to: Lucia literally tripped over him once while she was looking. But he could hide up a tree with an invisibility potion to help things along, and Conn would still find him in less than five minutes."

"Now that is a handy gift." Veleth said. Then he stood. "I'll go boot the others awake. I didn't see Nevano come in last night. I swear if I have to go find him..."

"Nevano's in," Serana answered. "I-saw him come in."

"...Right, I said I wasn't going to ask." Veleth headed to the back.

Ravenlight glanced over at her. Vampires didn't blush...but the way she was acting, she almost expected her to be blushing. She clearly knew a lot more about what had gone on than she was saying.

Veleth came back out fairly quickly. "I _really_ don't want to know." He grumbled. "Ah, don't let me forget that we got to bring in the deer we got yesterday for you."

"Oh, you did manage some hunting." Ravenlight looked pleased. "Good. We'll probably want the provisions." She glanced back at Veleth. "What surprised you so much there?"

"We got them smoking. Some to take, plenty to leave here as a small way to repay us staying here." Veleth said. "He's out so deep it's like my mother drugged him...he never does that. I do _not_ want to know what happened because I know it has something to do with Azura's sign last night."

"Oh, good. I can handle that part of it, but it's nice not to have to worry about it just before we have to run halfway across the world." Ravenlight opened the pantry, then paused and looked suspiciously at Serana. "Little cousin, if anyone in the world is a worse actor than me or my brother, it is you. What was your part in that last night?"

Drelasa raised an eyebrow but said nothing, continuing to prepare breakfast. She hoped beyond hope it was good. She liked Serana, vampire or no. Ravenlight had a point in them being friends...

"I...I found what he was doing," she admitted. "It...something to ensure Azura's help, if we needed it? It left him fairly weak, so I...I sneaked him inside and got him some food and wine; made him eat and drink. He didn't want anyone else to know what he'd done...but he was almost ready to faint once he'd done it."

Both Dunmer stared, Veleth in exasperation and Drelasa in a mixture of concern and astonishment. They exchanged a look.

"I'm not sure which is most surprising..." Drelasa said slowly. "Him putting himself in debt like that to Azura or you not complaining that he was being an ass about being told to do something."

"He really wasn't that much trouble," Serana said. "Grumbled a little, but...honestly, he was no worse than Isran is about having to rely on a vampire for certain intelligence or rescue missions. Grumbling I'm used to. He was..." She paused. "Really too weak for anything else." She looked down sheepishly. "Plus, I told him that if he _didn't_ behave, I'd tell you exactly what it was he did."

"Well, if there's a threat that will get him to more or less behave, that would be it." Drelasa smirked a little. "I have no problem lighting his ass up with a shock spell. Too bad he never really learns from it. That mer will be ready to shovel into the grave and he will run his mouth. He stood in front of every councilor in Morrowind gathered together and happily cracked off-color jokes while casually revealing every dirty little secret he had managed to dig up. How he walked out of there alive is anyone's guess. He's also cracked stupid jokes when he was so badly injured he couldn't even shift his weight without assistance. Minor grumbling is..." Hope bloomed in her heart, coloring her voice.

"Good?" Serana ventured.

"Very." She almost whispered.

"Well, he was a lot stronger once I got something into him, though still tired. We talked a little afterward, too."

Ravenlight turned just enough to keep Serana from seeing the extraordinarily smug and pleased expression that spread across her face at this. _Good_, she thought. _Now I just need to introduce him to Paarthurnax._

Drelasa made a mental note that once this was over, to make Ravenlight the best dinner she could possibly cook. Whatever she wanted, however much she wanted. It was hers.

* * *

Ravenlight moved automatically to start breakfast, silently running up a tally in her head of how many people there were to cook for this morning. Behind them, the house began to stir, from Valdimar appearing from his quarters, using a small bone comb to neaten his mustache-his nearly-bald head needed no such attention-to Blaise and Lucia coming down and immediately heading outside to do their chores, gathering eggs from the small flock of hens and milking the goat.

Veleth growled to himself and headed back to the guest room, now looking a little irritable. Not two moments later, there were a few loud bumps and loud yelps and he came back in, muttering to himself in Dunmeri.

"I'm going to assume everyone else is now awake?" Serana asked innocently-perhaps a shade _too_ innocently. Ravenlight considered that there had been time for her to encounter the twins alone, as well as Nevano.

"They better be. If the twins know what's good for them and don't want six weeks of working the guar pens in the trader district, they'll go get the deer we started smoking yesterday." Veleth raised his voice slightly. There was a moment of silence before, with a rush, the twins flashed by, still scrambling to belt their pants on but missing the rest of their clothes in their haste to avoid the most hated job in the entire Watch. "There they go."

She watched them dash past with a wicked glint in her eyes that suggested she had, indeed, encountered them, and had not particularly enjoyed the encounter. Though, Ravenlight considered, she hadn't thrown either of them across the roof or into a particularly stagnant pond, so they probably hadn't been more than obnoxious.

"One day, those two will grow up a bit." Drelasa said. "One day. Maybe."

"If they survive," Serana muttered.

"They will. It's what they do best." Veleth said. "They were far, _far_ worse when they were first tossed at my feet and it took months of working together for them to even begin to trust me. Went from openly hostile to being kids; I don't think they ever got to do that before. Making up for lost time."

Serana considered. "Has..._everyone_ in your group suffered before coming here? Nevano told me some of his story last night."

"Nevusa might whine about the arranged marriage but she's got the stable background." Veleth said. "And, yes. But then it makes it easier to connect with those who have been through something similar...however, our homeland is such a mess I honestly don't think there's many Dunmer who can say they haven't gone through some sort of crap."

"There's certainly truth there." Serana turned to look over at the guest wing, her eyes slightly clouded; possibly thinking over her conversation the previous night with Nevano.

Nevusa and Nevano came out a few moments later, Nevano wearing bracers that covered his arms.

"Guar pens, huh?" Nevusa grinned. "Is that better or worse than scraping Netch crap off the Bulwark?"

"Depends on how big the caravan that recently came in is...and what pack animals they have." Veleth said.

Serana glanced at the bracers, then looked away. She didn't particularly want to call too much attention to them. "Feeling better this morning?"

"Thanks to your help, far better than I would have otherwise." Nevano smiled warmly at her.

She smiled back. "Good. I'm glad to hear that."

Drelasa had to quickly make an excuse to duck into a pantry to stop a happy squeal from escaping. Veleth bit back a smirk and headed out to make sure the twins hadn't crashed into a tree in their haste.

Serana shifted over as Nevano unconsciously took a spot beside her, and looked over at Ravenlight. She looked puzzled for a moment at the flash of almost undiluted triumph in the Bosmer's eyes, then shook her head slightly and spoke. "When were you wanting me to call the hawks to take your letters, cousin?"

Drelasa about hauled Nevusa by the scruff into the kitchen, declaring she needed her help.

"Oh-" Ravenlight bit back a curse. "I almost forgot about those. As soon as possible. We can eat first, but then we've got to mobilize. There's a lot of work to be done, and not much time to do it in."

Serana nodded, though she glanced at Nevano and made no move to get up. "All right. Once you've eaten, I'll go out and call them here. I'll also get hold of Falion; he's not really a Dawnguard agent, but he's got lines of communication with them that even I don't."

"I heard you mention that last night but I wasn't paying all that close attention." Nevano said. "How do you call the hawks?"

Serana pursed her lips and let out a fluttering whistle. "It's a signal," she explained. "Nimrna trained them to come from wherever they are whenever they hear it-though it helps to have some fresh meat on hand to reward them when they come. I can reach them almost anywhere in Skyrim, as can the Bosmer in the Dawnguard; anyone else just has to take whichever one might be in the area. They all know where Fort Dawnguard is, but she's trained them to find nearly any location in their territory in Skyrim, which was...frankly, amazing to me. She marked each one, so we know which hold they live in." She laughed. "A good thing, too, because it wouldn't do any good to attach a letter to, say, the Mage's College to the leg of a hawk that made its territory in Falkreath!"

"Might have been faster to tie it to a rabbit at that rate." Nevano nodded.

"Right. So she used some kind of illusion magic to mark their wing feathers to indicate where they make their territory. That way, we can be sure that all the letters reach their destinations."

"That is...impressive."

"If I recall correctly," Ravenlight commented wryly, "she started with pigeons. Only switched over to the hawks after she lost too many pigeons to them."

"Yes, she did." Serana giggled. "And she _swore_ when she found out what was happening to her birds! Worse than the time Gunmar caught Sorine trying to use his trolls as target practice for her new automatons."

Ravenlight turned to stare. "I'd heard something about that, but I didn't... She was actually trying to...use those blasted Dwemer automatons on _Gunmar's trolls?!_"

Nevano rubbed furiously at his ears. "Okay, I did _not_ drink that much last night, so I can't be hungover...but, I'm sorry _trolls_ and _automatons_? Because just one of those is trouble enough..."

"You have no idea." Serana and Ravenlight spoke at the same time. Then they exchanged glances and laughed. "Gunmar is an animal trainer," Ravenlight explained. "He breeds the special dogs the Dawnguard uses to hunt down vampires...but his specialty is taming and training trolls. Don't ask me how or why...but he does. They're actually really useful in a pinch."

"And Sorine Jurard is _obsessed_ with the Dwemer," Serana continued. "She started with making weapons based on their old schematics...but about five years ago, she managed to retrieve some nearly-intact automatons-including a _Centurion_, of all things, and one of their blasted ballistas-and got them working again. And even more remarkably, got them to obey her. I honestly think the rest of us are more comfortable around the trolls."

Nevano's head twitched suddenly. "Ow! _Vith!_ Shut up, Nerevar! _Julekil am ot mahketif guar!_ We _know_!" He shook his head. "Sorry. Nerevar tends to act out when Dwemer stuff is messed with. Been millennia and he's still sore about what happened. That and I've pulled enough darts out of my backside to want to stay far away from the things..."

"Should have heard what _I_ had to say when I saw that Centurion," Ravenlight said. "I _hate_ those things. But...at the same time, it's just a _thing_. Nothing magical about it. I was expecting the worst, but somehow, when she started it up, it listened to what she had to say." She shrugged. "It's acting as a glorified doorguard for Fort Dawnguard now. Isran says that if new recruits are too nervous to pass that, we didn't want them anyway-and it certainly discourages any attacks by what few vampires are still bold enough to try."

"Because it's all creepy!" Nevano made a face. "Go diving in their abandoned holes and all of it still fecking works! How do things with no souls, no soul gems and no magic still come flying out of holes shooting darts? And those centurions are the worst. Nothing says you've had a bad day like getting sent flying because you didn't duck quite fast enough."

"Oh, she could tell you plenty about that," a new voice said wryly. They turned to see Drizzt coming in, carrying Connlach again: only this time, it was under one arm, because the small boy was muddy to the hips. "He got an impromptu lesson on watching the terrain as well as the other fighter. I told him to watch that mud puddle three times before he finally stepped in it."

Connlach ducked his head, looking sheepish.

"Those mud puddles always like to jump right under your feet, don't they?" Nevano said. "Though you seemed to have found it far more elegantly than another certain kid I know. He somehow found it with his face and not his feet."

"Would have been all over if I hadn't caught him," Drizzt said. "Of course, the puddles by the marsh are almost always a little treacherous; there's never really any telling how deep they are." He looked down at his nephew. "So next time you'll remember, right?"

Connlach nodded. "Right."

Nevano grinned.

Drizzt looked over at Ravenlight, his cheerful expression slipping a little. "How much time do we have today?"

She sighed, brushing some of the hair away from her face. "Not as much as I wish we did." She looked over at him. "I think you and I are taking a quick pass to High Rock with Odahviing once the letters are sent out. There's something there that needs to be done as quickly as possible."

He nodded, before heading to the upstairs room with Connlach to get the small boy a fresh set of clothes.

Nevano rubbed at the skin above the bracers. "If it turns out that this beacon IS indeed the key to the Tower...what are we going to do with it? That's not something you can just hide somewhere. That's the key to the most powerful thing...ever, really."

"Destroy it," Ravenlight said flatly. "I don't care what good might come from the other Towers. That sort of power is something I don't think _anyone_ is equipped to deal with, not even the Psyjics. If we can't smash it or ruin it with dragonfire, then I think a quick trip to Vvardenfell would be needed, and the key to the Adamantine Tower should be introduced to the power of the Red."

"Hmm...good idea. Might shut her up too." Nevano said.

"About that..." Drelasa said. "I learned a bit more. It's much easier to talk with spirits in dreams." She went on. "They have far more energy and can talk far more clearly. Jorun had more to say, he just didn't have the ability to tell us when I summoned him. Ada-Mantia _has_ its stone. It's called the Zero Stone and it is actually within the foundation vault of the tower. However, it is inert. It has no power. By this stone, there is a door with thirteen rotating locks. That door has never been opened and is thought to lead to the heart of the tower. While no one understands the Tower...it is thought that time quite literally began from this tower when it was sunk into the earth. Other theories suggest it stores the history, the true history of everything, within its walls, continually adding every moment. Still, the point is, the key is already there. The beacon is probably what will power the stone, though the fact that the beacon is horrifically corrupted is worrisome. That and...I don't think even throwing the key into a volcano will destroy it!"

Ravenlight pursed her lips, contemplating other possibilities. "What if..." she said slowly, "we give the beacon into the keeping of a Primordial creature? It's neither good nor evil: it cannot be corrupted. It just..._is_. It's power, fire: the fire of the earth itself made...sentient. I know where one is." She looked back at the others. "And I promise you, if we gave it to _that_ and told it to never release it, no one would ever see the thing again. We _might_ even be able to convince it to destroy the beacon, though very slowly, and by simply consuming it a little at a time."

"Exactly what do you speak of?"

Ravenlight turned and looked up the stairs. "Something from my brother's world," she answered quietly. "I'll let him tell a little more about it. But...it's extraordinarily powerful-and it's a world away from the Tower. It might be the safest place to keep the beacon. And if the Primordial has it, than I know no one else will get at it."

"We can try...but I really would hate to unleash something elsewhere, causing trouble in more than one plane." Drelasa frowned. "There is something else that concerns me. Jorun said he thought he saw something that said that these Towers can...manifest physically? What was it he said...he was getting excited and it was getting muddled...physical avatars? I am concerned that if that is the case...I'm afraid it would go looking for it and is powerful enough to bring it back."

"That would be a problem." She sighed. "Well...actually, the only other place I can think of is..."

"What about the Soul Cairn?" Serana said quietly.

Ravenlight blinked. "I was actually going to say the Throat of the World, in Paarthurnax's care. But...you know, the Soul Cairn's not a bad place to hide it, either."

"While you run to High Rock...I'm going to see if I can talk with Jorun again." Drelasa looked a bit strained at that. "Endure his theory babble and try to see if he knows of where to put this...if we can. All I know is that hiding an object that was key in _creating_ everything is a bit hard when it knows how to unravel it all. We might have to be open to other options. I'll see what we can discover."

Ravenlight nodded. "That's a worry for later, when we actually _have_ the thing. Right now, we've got Thalmor and an army of vampires to deal with first, and even with the dragons, they _won't_ be an easy fight."

"I...hope you haven't mentioned much of the Towers in your letters." Drelasa said. "If we can destroy all that knew of the beacon and not mention anything to our allies, saying that the armor was the key instead and it was destroyed...we might be able to just collapse the ruins fully and keep it hidden."

"Nothing of the Towers," Ravenlight answered. "That's...something I'm still having trouble grasping. The vampires, the Armor of Wrath, and the Thalmor are plenty to deal with right now."

"Let's keep it that way. I think everyone here would prefer to see it buried and gone." Drelasa said. "It's a slim chance but it's a chance that we can take. It's the best one."

"I'm willing to go for it." Ravenlight looked up. "All right, get everyone back in here. I've got breakfast ready and once that's done with, we have a _lot_ to do."

* * *

Veleth hadn't been kidding when he said they had gotten plenty of venison to help restock Ravenlight's stores at the house. Solstheim was a horrible place but it taught one how to hunt to survive and Skyrim was filthy with deer in comparison. She wouldn't have to worry about hunting for a while. They had covered the meat with the same strange jelly Drelasa had given them back in Blacklight, promising that the meat would keep for 'near forever' with it and giving her a small pot of the stuff. They were a bit reluctant to tell her exactly what the jelly substance was, not wanting to gross anyone out but did give up that it was part of the Dunmer's strange cuisine. They all ate and cleaned up quickly, nervous energy speeding them along.

Drizzt and Ravenlight found a moment to be together more or less alone, and spoke in quiet voices. The others couldn't catch much of what was said, though 'High Rock', 'maybe two', and 'where to keep them' could be heard.

For once, Nevano wasn't suspicious or nosy. He was fully distracted with Serana...which in turn kept everyone else highly distracted while pretending to not notice the blooming friendship.

Serana, for herself, was quite happy with the turn of events as well. It was rare for her to find anyone not distracted by the fact that she was a vampire, or that she was around five thousand years old. Add to the fact that she had been locked up for most of them, and as a result, she had a keen interest in history, and what all had gone on while she was sleeping in a stone box. Discovering that Nevano was the Nerevarine-and could actually _speak_ with Nerevar Indoril-sparked her interest even more, as she had been locked away before the Chimer had become Dunmer, and was oddly fascinated by the turn of events that had caused that.

Nevano readily admitted that reading history wasn't his thing. Words turned into a jumbled mess to him after a while. But, he had witnessed plenty of it himself or knew those who had. He could, in keeping with his own Ashlander roots, pass the stories down. Nerevar added more to it, or what he could remember at least. What Serana could add to the stories was fascinating, as it was from a time that Dunmer tended to be cagey over. Granted...much was lost when the volcano erupted. Which, Nevano clicked his teeth a bit saying it, he had been there for. "Haven't given up fighting but it's a mess," he said.

She was also fascinated by his descriptions of the Oblivion Crisis, which she had not been awake for either. It was with genuine reluctance that she stopped talking with him and went outside when Ravenlight finally went over and asked her to call the hawks so that the letters could all be sent out. Nevano followed, his own curiosity going wild from wanting to see these hawks come in.

* * *

Serana took up a position in a shady spot, then lifted her hands, closed her eyes for a moment, and let out the fluttering whistle she'd demonstrated earlier. About ten minutes later, there was a rush of wings, and over a dozen hawks landed around her, flapping and shrieking at one another, but behaving.

She fussed over each of them in turn, lifting them up to look at their wings and identify which Hold they belonged to, then gave them some of the sliced-up deer livers and handed them off to Ravenlight, who stroked them, tied the appropriate letter to their legs, whispered the name of the landmark they needed to find, and tossed them back up again. Even with some of the hawks having to fly in from across Skyrim, the entire process was done in less than an hour.

Nevano's eyes were wide. "First time I've been around that many flying things that eat meat and was _not_ worried about being food myself."

Serana gave the tired-looking hawk with the Winterhold mark on its wings extra liver. "That's right. You said Vvardenfell used to have a lot of trouble with...cliff-racers, you called them?"

Ravenlight held back a snort, remembering that, just the previous day, she had been facing down over three dozen dragons. She held the Riften hawk on her arm; it too was getting extra meat for the flight back, much to the annoyance of the Whiterun hawk on her shoulder.

"Yeah. Think small dragons with bad attitudes that liked to flock together in herds." Nevano said. "Though nowhere as pretty as a dragon or hawk and absolutely no use to speak of. Didn't even taste good. How did all these get here so fast?"

"I don't know how they do it." Serana tossed the Winterhold hawk into the air; it climbed up and vanished in the sky. "We've all wondered a time or two; Florentius says Kynareth is giving them a hand; though Florentius says he knows that because Arkay told him, so I'm not sure how accurate that is. Sorine thinks they may just be finding good winds. Nimrna doesn't deny that it's magic of some kind, though whether it's hers or she did ask Kynareth she's not saying."

With the letter on its leg that would get the Thieves' Guild in on the action, the Riften hawk climbed into the air and sailed off, followed shortly by the Whiterun hawk with its joint letter to both Jarl Balgruuf and the Companions.

Nevano watched them go. Hopefully, it brought the help they needed. Be nice to solve world problems with an army instead of alone.

Ravenlight turned. "All right. I'm going to call Odahviing and Feynruven, one of our new allies. Hopefully they'll get Drizzt and me to High Rock and back in less than a day. We'll have to just come straight back here; honestly, it's probably safest. Serana...once you're done with Falion in Morthal, could you get some cots set up down in the cellar? Hopefully we'll need five."

Nevano glanced at Serana. "Want some company?"

"Glad to have it." She smiled at him. "I'll show you where everything is."

"Five more too...anything else we need to get to restock?" Nevano asked. "I got septims that are worthless and burning a hole in my pack."

"I should have..." Ravenlight considered, then sighed and shook her head. "No, after three days of exposure, they're going to need a _lot_ of healing. Serana, take him with you into Morthal when you go talk to Fallion, and buy the Thaumaturgist's Hut out of all the healing herbs and potions Lami has."

She turned to the house. "Drizzt? Are you ready?"

* * *

Drelasa was fussing over Drizzt, making sure every last burn was truly gone and nothing lingered from the harsh cure. Connlach sat beside her, not sure entirely what was going on, but watching wide-eyed nonetheless. When Ravenlight called, he hopped up, too, obviously intending to head off with them.

Drizzt caught him quickly. "Not this time, Conn," he said in a voice that, while kind, brooked no disagreement. "We're going to be riding on dragons for too long; you won't like it. We should be back before tonight." He ruffled his hair. "You'll be fine. There's lots of new people here for you to play with."

"I'm sure we can find something fun to do until they return." Drelasa said kindly.

Conn deflated, but nodded. "Okay."

Outside, there was first one Shout, then, a few minutes later, a second one as Ravenlight called the two dragons that would take them to and from High Rock. Odahviing arrived first, followed soon after by the second-a slender, gray-green Blood Dragon.

"Beautiful creatures." Drelasa murmured, watching them.

Conn, alarmed by the presence of the dragon he didn't know, grabbed her leg and hung on. Behind her, Blaise and Lucia peeked wide-eyed around the door themselves.

They weren't close enough to hear what Ravenlight said. The Blood Dragon, Feynruven, seemed sulky about what she said; but Odahviing growled at him, and he yielded, instantly abashed. Drizzt had put together a large bundle, mostly consisting of blankets, rope, and waterskins; he fastened these to the base of Feynruven's neck, just above the wings, then he and Ravenlight mounted Odahviing, and both dragons launched themselves into the sky, wheeling and sailing off to the east.

Drelasa rubbed the young boy's back. "It's okay, darling. They won't allow a misbehaving dragon to keep on doing so. Now...shall we find something to do?"

He didn't look convinced...and perhaps had seen just enough to justify this...but he nodded, and went in with her gladly.


	14. Rescue

**Rescue**

His strength was starting to fail. There was a part of him astounded that they had all lasted this long. Certainly their executioners hadn't expected any of them to last much longer than the first two nights, let alone three whole days. But he didn't think they could go on much longer. Thirst was his constant companion; his hunger, though, was starting to fade, and he knew that was dangerous.

Four days. Had it really only been four days since he'd met that Bosmer woman and her strange Dunmer companion, who'd warned him that his secret suspicions about the ruin were true? Only four days since he'd helped them rescue their companion and escape? It felt like longer.

He heard a weak sound to his right and turned, helplessly looking over at Elealda. She hadn't deserved any of this. All she'd done was find and heal him after the Dark Elf had stabbed him to complete the illusion of an infiltration and attack during the rescue. The base's only surgeon; he'd have thought that would have protected her, if nothing else did.

Gyrmallion knew he should have expected this. His superior, Commander Neladil, had become increasingly strange about the ruin, even before the two Elves had shown up to tell him that his worst secret suspicions were true and the ruin housed not some sacred artifact, but a vampire older than the Septim Empire. And the Mute...he'd wondered about that. But he'd thought...

His head dropped to his chest. It didn't matter what he'd thought. He'd been wrong and it had led to this.

Staked out to die under the claws and fangs of the vampires-and worse, not just him, but Elealda and his most loyal men.

* * *

Drelasa looked at Connlach. "Well, my dear, I heard that we are getting maybe five more guests. I think we need to make sure there are enough supplies to have this many people. I don't want to run you out of house and home. How about you come with me to gather some herbs? I didn't see in the garden or greenhouse." An argument between Veleth and Nevusa could be heard breaking out. "We'll bring the big kids along too. Go get your brother and sister and we will go herb hunting."

She sent the child running and gathered her own supplies. An empty bag, the ebony knife her husband had given her as a present long ago and a few potions just in case they ran into trouble along the way. Not that she expected much trouble but she was bringing a few along that trouble just loved to stalk. She could still hear her son and Nevusa muttering at each other. Those two...so close, yet like oil and fire.

Connlach returned very quickly, with all the children big and small. She inclined her head and took them north, towards the coast.

Though there were many many leagues between Blacklight and Solitude, some things remained the same. Namely, the ocean. Drelasa firmly believed that the ocean was one of the only reasons Blacklight managed to stand firm even in times of famine in Morrowind. It provided a bounty of food for those willing to brave it and a bounty of supplies that may seem strange at first.

Kelp was one.

Lucky for them, there was plenty that had washed up on shore. She set the children to collecting it while she looked for more sea bounties. Connlach started as seriously as they others in gathering the slippery plants but, as small children often do, he got distracted and started running up and down the beach. Drelasa giggled to herself, remembering how she used to have to chase her own small child on the rocky shores.

She called Connlach to her and gave him a job he might like better. Gather sea shells. She advised him to keep the ones he thought were pretty and would want to keep for himself separate from the other shells. She didn't want to accidentally hurt his feelings by grinding up ones he wanted.

Then she called the twins to her. She spied the last thing on her list she wanted while on the shore. An old adversary: an enormous, seemingly placid horker. She wanted the meat for Ravenlight's larders...but she wanted the rest of it for other purposes. The twins were the best horker herders she had ever met. They could separate the one they wanted without causing the whole herd to come after them.

* * *

The roar caught his attention, and he shuddered, the movement making his chains jingle and clank. _That damn dragon._ There'd never been a dragon in this area before, he knew it. And while it was hunting vampires...it certainly wasn't doing it out of kindness for them. Last night… one had escaped it with a missing arm. It had made a beeline for them, actually reaching out to start pulling the life from his friend and subordinate, Tellindil. Then the dragon had struck, slamming its jaws shut on the vampire-maybe three feet away from them.

Gyrmallion shuddered at the memory. There had been a _grin_ on the creature's face as it drew back, the feebly-wriggling vampire in its jaws; and it had made sure they saw when it snapped its head up and swallowed the creature whole. If he survived, that moment would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life.

And the worst part was, he didn't know if it would eventually decide it was tired of eating vampires. It _knew_ about them: knew they were staked out there, practically offered to it on a platter like some delicacy at an ambassador's party. He wouldn't be surprised if it came back before they started dying of exposure, having decided it wanted fresher meat that was likely to be had on a vampire.

Then the ground shuddered, hard. It had landed, close-and during the day. He shivered again, his body tense: there was only one reason it would be here, now. He found himself silently praying: not to be ignored, but to be the first it took. These were still his men, and Elealda a healer of his company: he didn't want to have to watch as a dragon picked them off, one at a time.

Then- "There they are, all right. Are they still alive?" A voice. A _Mer's_ voice, the unusually dark-skinned Dunmer who'd been with the Bosmer woman. And while he was still trying to wrap his head around that-

"I think so-yes! Ah, thank Akatosh, I think they're still conscious!"

* * *

The twins started in on their unusual skill. The entire group stopped to watch with interest and, while Drelasa would like to get done quickly so she could get these things prepared, she had to admit that watching the process was...hilarious. One twin, she was pretty sure it was Min, danced around like a madman, effectively getting the extraordinarily confused horkers' attention. Most of the herd stayed put, not all that interested in getting close to the new strange thing but eventually a young cow heaved itself up and shuffled over, its curiosity getting the better of it. The young children were already snickering a little bit, Connlach shedding shells as he giggled.

Then, as the horker left the safety of the herd and put a little bit of distance between them, Zeb burst from hiding, screaming and flailing his arms wildly. The horker herd, taken completely off guard, fled to the ocean as fast as their ungainly bodies could flounder, bellowing in fear.

The kids fell over themselves laughing but the twins still weren't done. Actually killing the horker was another matter but the twins had it covered. Zeb never stopped his wild run and leaped onto the back of the young cow that remained behind. The cow bellowed, tossing her head from side to side, trying to reach the maddening weight on her back. Min darted forward with a long knife but fell backwards on his rump when the cow turned her attention to him and nearly opened his arm with her tusks. Drelasa facepalmed.

* * *

Gyrmallion could only stare, disbelieving, as the two Elves ran toward them. His mind was whirling. How-why-_how_? How had they known to come? How _had_ they come? Why were they willing to risk themselves like this? He wasn't blind. He knew that Thalmor were largely hated by the world, and he knew that all too many Thalmor deserved the hate. But-then-

The Bosmer ran forward, her hand flickering green. "I'll transmute the chains," she said, looking back at the Dunmer. "You get them off them!"

"Right!" The sight of the hatchet in his hand was still...unnerving, but as her hand snapped forward and the magicka flashed, once for each of them... Then the Dunmer stepped forward, swinging the hatched to bite through the suddenly-soft chains. One by one, his men fell forward, finally free, but too stiff or weak to keep standing.

Finally, she was in front of him, and smiled wryly as she reached out to transmute his chains into silver. "We meet again, eh? Wish it was under better circumstances." She stepped away to allow the Dunmer to cut through the chains. Then, as they had with the others, they caught him as he toppled forward, his legs unable to support him.

"There we go." She settled him onto the ground, before running back behind them again. Something huge drew closer, and he couldn't help but shudder again. Then quick footsteps returned, and a blanket fell around his shoulders. She gasped when she saw his back. "What the-what happened to you?"

He grimaced as he felt them start hurting again. Not whip marks: cuts, long and thin, inflicted by a short, sharp wire. "My commander wasn't happy to discover I knew about the vampire army. He wanted to find out why." He'd spent half a day discovering exactly _why_ people hated Thalmor; that damn Mute had been an absolute _maestro_ with his torture instruments. He closed his hands absently, hoping to hide the torn and bloody ends of his fingers from his rescuers. The Mute hadn't done that; he'd torn his hands up himself, trying not to scream as that blasted wire ran down his back, pausing to dig into nearly every single nerve ending back there.

But he hadn't screamed. And he hadn't talked.

Of course, that was why they'd decided to stake him _and_ his trusted men out here. Along with Elealda, whose only real crime had been healing him of a seemingly mortal wound. They'd decided she was working with him, and therefore needed to be pruned from the ranks as well.

* * *

The twins flailed with the young cow. Zeb was desperately trying to hold on and tire her out but Min couldn't get in close enough to get the long knife into the cow's throat to end her. There was too much fat on the horker for it to easily be brought down by normal means.

They took too long.

The horker bull got over his fear and came charging from the surf, bellowing his rage, his tiny eyes red with rage. The twins scrambled to get away. The young cow was one thing; but the massive bull was completely another. He would kill them without really trying. Min easily got away but Zeb, rolling off the cow's back, caught a rock and crashed to the ground. A string of very strong curses in the Velothi tongue echoed over the crashing waves.

Just as the bull reached Zeb, a sword came down. Through the bull's skull, through the thick layers of fat and massive muscle, through the bone, to slam into the rocks below. The bull crashed down with a strangled bellow, the ground quickly turning red all around it. The young cow fled in panic to the surf, away from the smell of blood.

Veleth yanked his sword out of the bull's head. "It helps if _both_ of you have a knife drawn."

Well...they'd got what they needed, at least. Drelasa considered the absolutely _massive_ horker bull. This was far larger than she had planned but she didn't plan on wasting a single bit. Her skill in alteration was nowhere near as strong as her skills in restoration and destruction but she could put enough of a feather spell on it. Good thing her son and the twins had strong backs. They were going to need them.

She turned back to the children who were a bit wide-eyed at seeing a sword go through a horker bull's skull in a single strike. "Come on, darlings. Let's get a bit more while they dress that bull. Then we'll bring this all home."

Zeb yelped as a fox, attracted by the smell of blood, nipped him before running off into the snow again.

Before she could pick up her own bundle of kelp, something caught her eye. In a pool, trapped by the lower tide and rocks, was a fish she recognized. Grinning, she pulled her knife out. This fish was notoriously difficult to catch, preferred deeper water and was rather venomous. But its venom was the key ingredient in the making of her controversial healing potion. This one fish could make several batches, leaving plenty for Ravenlight to have on hand.

* * *

The Bosmer woman laid her hand on his back, and he flinched: but instead of pain, he felt the familiar warmth and heard the soft chiming of a healing spell. The pain of the cuts faded, and he sighed with relief. "I should ask you your name," he said. "Seeing as you've put yourselves out to rescue us."

"Care for a trade?" she asked, almost teasingly. "We don't know yours, either. I'm Ravenlight _Dovahkiin_; this is my brother, Drizzt Cothy'rim."

There was a stunned gasp from every one of the Altmer. They knew those names. A little too well, in fact.

Gyrmallion tried to keep his face from betraying his alarm as he considered that they might have just gone from bad to worse. The legendary _Dovahkiin_...the Dragonborn of Skyrim...her prowess in fighting dragons was only second to her hatred of the Thalmor.

He swallowed hard, looking up at her-and finally realizing why she'd seemed vaguely familiar in the forests outside Fell's Run. He'd faced her before, years ago-and it hadn't gone well for him. "I'm Gyrmallion. I used to be the general here... but that's probably finished now. Why did you come?"

Ravenlight smiled. "Do you want the real reason, or the one you'll believe?" There was something odd in the way she said it: as if she was repeating something she'd said to someone before.

"What's the one we'll believe?" Tellindil was almost too weak to sit, let alone stand, but he'd turned to watch them, the same as the others.

The Dragonborn laughed. "You lot will know more about the Thalmor strength in the area-not to mention how deep the Mistress's power has gone-than anyone else, and wasting such a source of information would be wrong in circumstances this dire."

"And the real reason?" Gyrmallion wasn't sure he wanted to know; but there was a lightness in the way she'd spoken that told him that, while it was a perfectly valid reason, it wasn't hers.

Her face instantly turned serious. "Because no one, not even Thalmor, deserve to be staked out to die of either vampire attack or exposure, whichever comes first. That is a level of cruelty I simply will not stand for."

Gyrmallion stared at her, considering her change in demeanor and tone. She meant it. She meant what she said. He couldn't... He sagged forward. He was too tired and too weak to consider the implications of that right now. "So...what now?"

"I'm going to assume none of you are in any shape to ride," Ravenlight said, unwinding more rope and blankets. "Especially not naked while on a dragon's back. Drizzt and I are going to rig up some hammocks of a sort, and sling you under the dragon's bellies. You won't be able to move very well-we'll have to make them pretty tight-but it'll only be for a few hours before we reach Windstad Manor. You'll be warmer and protected under there, and you might even be able to sleep."

The Dunmer-Drizzt-knelt beside him, pulling out a waterskin. "Here," he said. "Just sip at it. Don't gulp while you're dehydrated."

Gyrmallion accepted a few slow mouthfuls, then nodded to the others. "Get them too," he said, realizing, absently, that he was not objecting to be tied up in a blanket beneath a dragon's belly and flown...possibly to Skyrim, that was the Dragonborn's known home.

It said a lot about his state of mind.

* * *

The twins had tried to whine about the weight of their third of the horker bull but Drelasa put them in their place by reminding them that they had messed up their chance with the cow who was half the size of the bull. They had shushed fairly quickly then.

They were not far from the manor. They were _not_ far at all...but, alas, trouble decided to come sniffing. Literally. Drelasa was familiar with predators - it seemed like everything on Morrowind was always trying to eat each other - but it wasn't often her assailant was so..._fluffy_.

The enormous cat was obviously attracted to the smell of fresh meat and obviously very hungry as it didn't even hesitate in leaping off its rocky perch at her, the scraping of claws on rock her only warning. She didn't have time to think, only to react. Her hands flew up, her mind flying through the familiar channels to erect a powerful ward spell.

The cat crashed into it, the force of it causing a ripple in the air, and bounced off. The smaller children gasped. The sound of a small child's noise of fear sent a jolt off in her. Rage flared in her like a wildfire. This thing _dared_ attack while there was a small child under her care. She growled, her hands clenched. It would die for scaring her kids.

"Guenhwyvar!" Connlach suddenly screamed. Mist swirled out of his pocket, looped around him and coalesced-and an equally large black panther suddenly stood between them and the saber cat, bristling and snarling-and just as obviously angry as Drelasa.

Drelasa had enough control on her temper to _not_ fry Guenhwyvar. Quickly stopping the flames that had started to build in her hands, she changed tactics. She called up a wall of wind. Normally something to call up as a personal shield, she found that if she poured a massive amount of strength into it and dropped it on something, it effectively held them in place.

"You or me?" She said through gritted teeth.

Guenhwyvar glanced back at her, then turned to the saber cat. She stalked forward three steps, every movement a warning. It was a warning the predator should have taken...

But did not.

* * *

The Thalmor were all in better shape than Ravenlight had feared, after being staked out naked in High Rock's unforgiving weather for three days. But 'better' shape did not mean 'good' shape, and while they were conscious and coherent, they were also weak from exposure and three days without food or water, capable of only token assistance as she and Drizzt rigged up crude but sturdy hammocks out of the rope and blankets they'd brought. The one woman was the worst: huddling beneath the blanket Ravenlight had draped around her shoulders and staring blankly at nothing.

Drizzt glanced over at her again as he tied off another stretch of blanket. "Is she all right?"

Gyrmallion followed his gaze and scowled. "She hasn't eaten for longer than the rest of us. She has a bad habit of not eating for a day or two at a time when she gets busy-and she'd been busy before they decided to execute her along with the rest of us."

"Of course," Ravenlight sighed. "Well...we didn't bring any food. But we'll make sure she's one of the first to get anything once we get you back. And I'll give her some extra water now. Won't help a _lot_-but it will help."

She moved over to do so. The Altmer woman accepted the water-though she didn't seem to be truly aware she had done so. They needed to get them all back to Skyrim-and quickly.

The final part of the plan was trickiest: actually getting the hammocks, with their passengers, attached to the dragons. Feynruven took three of them, grumbling as he had to lower himself more than he wanted before they could get the occupied slings tied up under him. It was a trick to make sure they were tight enough to ensure no one was in danger of slipping out during the flight back to Skyrim-though loose enough at the same time to make sure no one was accidentally smothered, either.

Feynruven, despite his grumbling, behaved as they finally got the three Altmer secured beneath him. But Gyrmallion was not one of the first three...and Gyrmallion, was more than a little leery around the dragons. Which Odahviing could sense, and it amused him to no end to shift or turn unexpectedly and alarm the Altmer. Ravenlight finally told the dragon to behave, and they were able to get the last two tied beneath him, before both dragons launched back into the sky, turning and flying back toward Skyrim.

* * *

Drelasa cried out as the saber cat broke free from the wind barrier and charged. With Guen and the kids so close, she didn't want to go to her usual fire or lightning.

The surf crashed behind her, giving her an idea. She had done this before but never like this. Calling on the wind again, she got the surf pounding hard. When the waves leaped high, she caught them. Water was far more difficult to manipulate than ice. The energy in it moved far faster, making it difficult to grasp. But not impossible. With Guen distracting the saber cat, she surrounded them all in a fence of water.

"Guenhwyvar!" She called out, her hands shaking with the effort. "Fall back to the children!"

She waited for the instant the big cat was clear before unleashing the fury of water on the saber cat, which suddenly realized its terrible mistake.

The massive wave swept the saber cat up and slammed it into the craggy rocks with enough force that the sound of it vibrated in everyone's chests. The younger Dunmer kept the children close, Nevusa hugging Connlach to her, while Guenhwyvar paced in front.

When the wave was finally spent, the water slid back to the sea, swirling by their feet in a gentle, rolling rush. Drelasa panted a bit from the extreme effort of controlling the sea even briefly, for that was a force no one would ever tame, but she smiled triumphantly. The body of the saber cat lay slumped on the rocks.

"I guess we're bringing that home too?" Veleth sighed when his mother arched an eyebrow at him. "Right. Silly me. I already knew the answer to that."

Drelasa set her adult children to processing the horker and the saber cat as soon as they got back, snagging the younger ones to help with the kelp and shells they gathered, explaining the various uses outside of alchemy and setting to harvesting the strange fish. The spines along its back were the part to look out for. The rest of the fish was rather delicious. She quickly set it aside to make for lunch.

* * *

The younger Dunmer didn't think much of it when the two dragons landed, though they were privately amused at how fast they accepted this as the new normal. They were still engrossed in work, not really wanting Drelasa to get them for wasting time and meat. The males had stripped to the waist, covered in blood and gore. The bull horker, in particular, was a messy job. The cat they didn't waste either. No edible meat was ever wasted at home, though they weren't sure how it would go over here. Still, they smeared it with a preservative they knew would work best, sliced the meat thinly and wrapped the pieces around bundles of herbs.

Then Ravenlight and Drizzt dismounted Odahviing and started removing the bundles from below.

It took Veleth a moment to realize that she was removing _bodies_ from the dragons. Bodies he wasn't sure were dead or alive. Leaving the twins to finish, he got the worst of the mess off and jogged over.

Ravenlight gave him a long look. "Behave," was all she said, as she unfastened the first of the bundles. "They've been through enough these past few days. And they're going to need help getting inside, they're all pretty weak. Are Serana and Nevano around?"

"What are you ta-oh _vith_." His eyes went wide. "No, they're still gone."

Gyrmallion bit back a yelp as he half-stood, the suddenly-bitter air of Skyrim striking his bare skin. He fell back, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it back around himself. Then he realized that Ravenlight and Drizzt weren't the only ones there, and looked up at Veleth.

There was a moment of silence, before Ravenlight spoke in a low voice that lifted the neck hairs on everyone within earshot-and even the dragons looked a little alarmed. "You are all here on my hospitality. If any of you does _anything_ to disrespect that, _you will regret it_. Is that understood?"

"_Nei, aka alma_." Veleth said. "Besides...enemy of my enemy."

"Truer than you may know." Gyrmallion tried to pull the blanket tighter, his teeth beginning to chatter.

"We need to get them inside, now." Ravenlight dropped the air of intimidation. "None of them are dressed, and it's too cold out here. Where's Drelasa?"

"Inside. We got our own haul that is...rather fortuitous." Veleth sighed and swallowed his pride completely. "Nevusa! Get over here! I can carry two of them."

"Good. I don't think any of them can walk." Ravenlight glanced at Gyrmallion, who swallowed his own pride and shook his head. "Hopefully they did as I asked and got some cots set up in the cellar; it's plenty warm down there, and a lot more private, which you might want while you're recovering."

"I think so. We left not long after you did and they were still here." Veleth jerked his head towards the Thalmor as Nevusa came up. "_Bahr ot lehji. Capt asuhl ujil as thil._"

Odahviing looked around, noting that both dragons had been freed of their burdens. "_Dovahkiin_, are we two still needed?"

"Not at the moment. Go keep an eye on the gathered, and watch to see if any forces start heading toward Whiterun. When they do, come get me and take me there." She nodded to him. "My thanks, _grah-zeymaziin._"

Veleth carefully got two of them over his shoulders and headed inside. Nevusa, a bit more hesitant, scooped one up as well. Ravenlight lifted up the still-barely-coherent woman, and Drizzt hefted up the last. Ravenlight went first, guiding them all inside.

"If those twins are shirking that bull-_b'vek_!" Drelasa hurried over.

"No severe injuries," Ravenlight said, "but half-delirious with thirst and hunger, and the exposure didn't help. And _she_," she indicated the one she was carrying, "apparently hasn't eaten for at least an extra day. We need to get them down someplace warm, and preferably private; please tell me Nevano and Serana got the cellar set up the way I asked?"

"They mentioned they were before we left. I didn't check." Drelasa already was running into the kitchen. "Kelp, egg, hackle-lo..."

"Oh, the fun after-famine breakfast. Yum..." Veleth said dryly. "Makes you wish you had no sense of taste..."

"All right, looks like they've set up where I asked. Come on." Ravenlight guided them through, looking around carefully. "And hopefully, Connlach is _not_ in the area...children take about twelve years to learn tact, and he is _not_ there yet."

"Dunno about that, Nevano is over two hundred and fifty and he still has none." Veleth muttered.

Fortunately, the path down to the cellar was five-year-old free. Ravenlight went down first, making her way down the sturdy ladder with extraordinary ease, even with the much taller Altmer over her shoulder. As she had requested, there were five cots set up, each one covered with several warm furs from her extensive stash of them. She set the woman down first and went back up to help the others, particularly Veleth, whom she suspected might not be _quite_ as agile.

He let her help with the first one, gaining a free hand, but had no trouble with the other. He wasn't going to be _that_ callous. So far, these Thalmor were different than the others. He'd give them the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

It was rough. It was a cellar. There was a shrine to Talos prominently displayed on the altar to the side. And Gyrmallion did not care, because it was _warm_. He almost hadn't realized how cold he'd become, dangling out in the open, until he was tied up against a dragon's belly-and while he'd changed his mind fifteen times a _minute_ as to whether or not that was a good thing while they were flying, he had to admit, the creature was incredibly warm.

He heard Ravenlight speaking to the large Dunmer, saying something about how even Nevano would likely not comment in a loud voice about whether or not someone's rear end was showing the way a five-year-old would, and it occurred to him to at least sit up and wait to collapse until the others were also down there. Elealda had flopped bonelessly across the furs on the cot, her eyes closed: he was worried more about her than he was about the others. Except, perhaps, for Tellindil: he was paler than the others, and he was starting to wonder if the vampire's attack, brief as it had been, might not have done something they hadn't considered.

Drelasa rushed back down with a pitcher and several cups. The smell was enough that Veleth flinched away but she waved him off impatiently. "Ravenlight, Drizzt, my darlings, come here and help with this. Not the best tasting but it has the nutrition they will need without overfilling too small bellies. Oh I'm so glad we went and got the kelp..."

Veleth snorted a bit before his mother shot him a glare that chased him right back outside. She was easily the worst enemy he could think of, other than Ravenlight, but starvation was not something she could stand. Veleth was fairly certain she had sent several to their grave with a full belly. He did give a lighthearted parting shot as he left the cellar.

"Nevano's body was frozen at the age of youngling mer and I think half his mind followed suit buuuuut...If you had Serana tell Nevano to not say it, I'll bet he would damn near sew his mouth shut."

Ravenlight went to Drelasa immediately. "The woman..." She glanced at Gyrmallion for a name, which he supplied, "Elealda, she hasn't eaten for the longest time." She took some cups, allowed Drelasa to fill them, and took them to the others; starting first for Gyrmallion, but giving him a smile and a nod instead when he gestured for her to go to the others first.

She handed the second cup to Tellindil, then halted, and knelt beside him. "Just a minute...let me see your face." He glanced at her nervously, but allowed her to take his chin in her hands and turn his head from side to side, looking at him closely. "How in the world...did any of the vampires get past Mirdovek?"

Drelasa looked up sharply.

Gyrmallion nodded. "Yes, one. Just long enough to attack him. Is he all right?"

"He's got sanguinus vampirus. Fortunately not too advanced." Ravenlight stood, ignoring the alarm visible on all faces at that familiar, and dreaded, name. "But I've got enough potions to cure _that_ to stock a legion. Just give me a minute; I'll fetch one and bring it back."

Drelasa relaxed and went back to making sure all of them got something in them. She really needed to stop fretting. Ravenlight was more than capable.

Ravenlight left and returned in less than three minutes, a bottle in hand. She went over to Tellindil. "All right. I'm going to assume you know how to take these about as well as anyone else. Tastes awful, of course; but they always do."

He smiled a little at her as he took the bottle, and threw it down in a practiced gulp. At this point, though...in all honesty, he wasn't sure he could complain about the taste, over just getting _something_ into his system.

Drelasa checked the others over, murmuring to a few of them. Once, Drizzt overheard her saying "Firstholder, hmm? I think I owe you an apology as a Dunmer for you having to deal with Morgiah for as long as you did."

Food, warmth, healing, sleep...Ravenlight ticked off what the five of them needed as Drelasa moved among them. Then she sighed. _Clothes_. They'd need those pretty urgently...and she was pretty sure she didn't have anything in the house that would fit a group of Altmer. "Good thing Solitude's so close," she muttered. The Radiant Raiment still made Altmer-sized clothing as a matter of principle, even with the Thalmor Embassy no longer occupied. She was going to have to take the skiff and go across the bay before they were up and about.

"Solitude?" Drelasa asked

"The city across the bay from us," Ravenlight answered. "Capitol of Skyrim. Morthal is technically closer, but it's fairly small and poor for a Hold capitol; Solitude has more resources." She glanced at the exhausted Thalmor, noting that even vigilant Gyrmallion had finally slumped back to sleep, and smiled. "Such as clothing that will fit them."

"I know what it is but..." She followed Ravenlight's gaze. "Would you object to me coming along?"

Ravenlight shook her head. "Not as long as you don't mind a young pilot. Blaise loves working the skiff-and he's pretty good with it, too."

Drelasa smiled. "Not at all."

"We might as well go up and get him, then. Best to do this sooner, rather than later." Ravenlight considered. "And...I'm probably just going to have to get into one of the strongboxes. I'll meet you down by our dock, Drelasa."

She nodded and left the cellar. She admonished Veleth, Nevusa and the twins to _absolutely behave themselves_ while she was gone or she would give the other children a lesson in how to tan Dunmer hides. She got very quick agreements on that front. Ravenlight, who had gone upstairs to get into the strongbox and tell Blaise they were heading across to Solitude and could use him, returned just in time to see the rather frantic agreements, and hid a smile. "All right," she said, pretending she hadn't noticed anything, "I've got what we need. Coming, Blaise?"

"Yes, Mama!" He tugged on his wool jacket, grinning with eagerness.

* * *

(**And twist moment! Let me know what you thought, I love hearing from you guys!)**


	15. An Afternoon in Solitude

**An Afternoon in Solitude**

Drelasa idly waved her fingers over the water, staring at the city in the distance, the water jumping playfully at her command. There was someone in Solitude she needed to speak to...if she could find him. She wasn't so sure how to tell Ravenlight...

"Solitude's got a lot to offer," Ravenlight said absently as they cast off, Blaise at the tiller and carefully making sure to steer away from the sandbars near the entrance to the marsh. "And holds a lot of memories for me. Quite a bit happened here, while I was still establishing myself and preparing to fight Alduin."

"You will have to point things out to me as we go along." Drelasa said.

"Shouldn't be hard...though the place where I'm going is fairly close to the gate." Ravenlight looked up at the towers and pursed her lips. "Should probably hit the market, though...I seem to be running short on spiced wine."

"Oh for...let me replenish that one." Drelasa said, clapping a hand to her face.

Ravenlight laughed. "If you insist; Evette San is a friend of mine, though. She and I go back quite a ways."

"I do...because your leak most likely belongs to me." Drelasa said. "Might stuff a cork in him..."

"I was wondering." Ravenlight tried to hide her grin. She also suspected she knew who'd introduced him to the special wine-not that she was going to object, if it helped their friendship along.

Drelasa threw her hands up in mock grievance. "Though, speaking of him and, by extension, Serana..." She smiled. "I wonder how they are doing."

"Hopefully pretty well." Ravenlight considered. "When did the two of them leave for Morthal, exactly? Because Falion isn't hard to find during the daylight-and there's really not a lot to _do_ in Morthal, or many sights to see. Easy to finish business there pretty fast. Unless, of course, Jarl Igrod had a vision concerning Nevano and wanted to talk to him...but she gets right to the point, when that happens, so it shouldn't have taken them too long, either."

"They were still there when we left after you did so I can't say for certain." Drelasa said. "And it also depends on how easily Serana is distracted."

"Serana? Not easily." Ravenlight grinned. "Unless they decided to have a look around at a few places after they were done. Admittedly, the marshes aren't exactly the most scenic place for a friendly little stroll...but they've got some charm of their own to them, especially in spring."

"I think we can count on that." Drelasa smiled.

"I knew I wanted them to meet each other, but I had no idea just how well that was going to turn out." Ravenlight shook her head. "I can't believe how unguarded she is around him."

"And him around her. I haven't seen him like that in a very long time." Drelasa said. "I do wonder..."

"Wonder what?" Ravenlight looked over at her curiously.

"Ah nothing. Nothing that will ever happen quickly." Drelasa said.

"Even if they just stay friends, those two will be good for each other," Ravenlight said quietly. "Honestly, they remind me a little of Drizzt and me: broken right in the places where the other can reach out to strengthen and prop up."

"And similar life spans."

"That was actually the reason I wanted them to meet." Ravenlight gazed out across the water. "Might sound...bitterly mercenary, but in that case, they'll _really_ be good for each other."

"Some things must be a bit blunt. It's a mere fact, though a brutal one. You, Drizzt and I will live longer than humans. In some cases, eight times as long." Drelasa said. "Though if we lived three, four, five hundred years, altogether it will never equate what they will live. Serana may be one of the oldest beings alive, but I don't think she has _lived_ yet. Nevano is over two hundred and fifty years old but he's hardly steered any of those years the way he wants. They both have that chance now and I hope they learn to take it together."

Ravenlight nodded. "So do I."

Drelasa watched the city loom closer. "There is...another reason I wanted to come with you. I hope you forgive me for not saying so sooner."

"In truth, I would have been very surprised if what you wanted to do was help me find clothing for five newcomers who are both taller and slimmer than everyone else in the house," Ravenlight said with a straight face. "What else were you needing to do?"

"I didn't want to say where my son would hear." She said. "I have...ah, it's been so long I can barely say it. I know someone here. I wish to speak to him. I'm not sure what good it will do but...in light of everything, I'd like to try."

"Oh?" Ravenlight looked intrigued. "Any chance I'd know this fellow, or is it something you'd rather not tell to anyone else?"

"Nothing like that, I hope." She said. "Ever see an older-than-dirt Dunmer around? And I mean _old_." Drelasa continued. "As in I'm-not-sure-how-he's-alive old."

"Might have." Ravenlight rubbed her hair. "But...actually, it's not really ringing any bells. Could probably give you the name of half the Legion's veterans, though."

"He might not be doddering around much." Drelasa said. "Rich enough to keep to himself."

"Ah, then probably not. Even now, I tend not to hobnob with the rich too much." She grimaced. "One time I did that, didn't end well."

"I do not blame you there..." Drelasa said lightly.

Blaise giggled. "Even though she's richer than most of them."

Drelasa smiled at him. "There are those who are rich and those who are...eh, rich. The first are wonderful people who you would never guess at, until you walked into their house and you have to pick up your jaw from the floor. Then there are those whom you cannot stand, so you tell Nevano about them so he can go practice his lockpicking skills and listen for the outraged squawking the next morning."

"I'm not sure you'd pick your jaw up unless I told you how many houses I own," Ravenlight muttered. "And I do know what you mean; those are the ones I would casually suggest to my friend Dismas; he's the current head of the Thieves' Guild, down in Riften."

"I'll give you a good mark, though it is in Necrom." Drelasa snorted. "They know Nevano on sight though. That city isn't fond of him at all."

"Don't know if the Guild operates out of Skyrim much, but I can drop a hint or two." Ravenlight looked up as the dock began to draw close. "All right, Blaise, bring her in easy. Don't need to damage either the skiff or the pilings here."

"Andrethi...will be fairly easy from there." Drelasa said.

"Good then." Ravenlight hopped out easily and tied the skiff up, then helped Drelasa and Blaise out. "Yes, Blaise, you can play with the other kids while I'm getting what I need. But you don't go past the Bard's College, and you come right back when you hear me whistle, all right? Drelasa, you're sure you can handle what you need on your own?"

"Yes. Yes I can handle this one." She frowned.

Ravenlight raised an eyebrow, not sure what to make of the frown, but she left it at that.

"Two fecking centuries and the old s'wit still annoys me..." she muttered.

"All right then. Well, far be it from me to suggest you need help intimidating anyone...but I can say, I've worked up a pretty good reputation for being able to make certain unbearable halfwits come near to soiling themselves just by standing up and glaring, so if you need it, I can probably provide it." Ravenlight brushed her hair back. "I'll probably be in the Radiant Raiment for a while; it's one of the first shops by the wall, so if you need me, you can probably find me there."

Drelasa nodded and headed off, face hard.

* * *

The Radiant Raiment prided itself on its fine clothing, even boasting that it supplied the Blue Palace. Ravenlight did not doubt it; she'd actually let Queen Elisif know of the quality goods available there. But when she opened the door and came in, she had not expected to see Elisif herself, dressed in a servant's plain clothing and cap, and devoid of all jewelry and makeup, sitting in the main room, and chatting with the proprietress. She honestly doubted the _proprietress_ realized who the woman was. But Ravenlight knew Elisif, not just the Queen-and she recognized her instantly.

Her eyes widened-but Elisif saw her, and gave a quick, tiny shake of her head. Ravenlight didn't understand _why_ the Queen of Skyrim was in a clothing shop, apparently in disguise...but she acknowledged the disguise, and did not give her away.

The proprietress saw Ravenlight and smiled. "Ah, welcome to the Radiant Raiment again! What can I do for you?" She was fairly snooty, as was her sister; but she had long ago discovered that the barbaric little Bosmer girl often had more gold on hand to spend then some of the nobles and merchants in the city; and they were willing to put up with what they considered her lack of refinement to get her to spend some of that gold at their shop.

Ravenlight pulled out the fat pouch she'd brought. "I need at least two outfits each for four Altmer men and one woman. Fairly average size; one man about a hands'-breadth wider in the shoulders than most. Unexpected circumstances, and they need clothes fairly urgently."

"Understood." The woman tried not to show that she was weighing the pouch in her hand. "Any particular...requirements, other than size?"

"Mostly practicality," Ravenlight answered. "Though if the outfits can be comfortably worn under armor, that would be a big help."

"Understood!" She stepped away. "I'll go see what I have in stock; I should have precisely what you need." She stepped away from the counter and disappeared into the back room.

As soon as the proprietress had moved out of earshot, Ravenlight arched an eyebrow. "Does anyone else know you're here?" she asked quietly.

Elisif smiled impishly and shook her head. "The Queen of Solitude tires easily in the middle of the day," she said, equally softly. "She likes to have her long naps in the afternoon. No one seems to wonder why she also sleeps soundly at night."

"So you put on plain clothes and a servant's cap, and go out into the city." Ravenlight shook her head and smiled. "Any reason?"

"To learn what I couldn't otherwise," Elisif answered. "I'm tired of being the only one who doesn't know what's really going on in my city, in my palace, in my hold. So I go out. I buy supplies in the market and listen to the stall-keepers gossip. I purchase clothes and hear the noblewomen and the middle class air their grievances. I buy alchemy supplies and simple potions, and chat with Angeline about who's buying what, and for what reason. I listen to the bards by their college and hear what they have to say." She smiled. "The Queen still seems rather...silly and ineffective. But I'm slowly being able to see what really needs to be done, and know how to handle it."

"So what have you learned?" This was mostly curiosity on Ravenlight's part; but it was a professional curiosity. Back when Elisif had still been a stumbling, uncertain, unready woman thrust onto a throne she had not trained for nor expected to take, Ravenlight had been her first true ally. While not exactly stumbling or unready at the time, Ravenlight had still been struggling with the weight of the world dropped on her shoulders, and half-wishing that unexpected heroic natures came with a set of instructions; and Drizzt's companionship had been a boon and a blessing in far more ways than one. She had understood Elisif's dilemma, and offered her own strong shoulders as a place for the uncertain queen to lean against while she learned what she needed.

Elisif smiled. "More than I can tell you here and now, I'm afraid, even with Endarie in the back trying to fill that order." She glanced sideways at Ravenlight. "Though the fact that you made it tells me that something _very_ interesting is going on with you...and I might add, that's the politest I've ever seen that old grouch."

Ravenlight laughed. "Did you see her weigh that coin pouch? I keep their shop prosperous entirely by myself sometimes; they figure it's a good idea to stay in the good graces of someone richer than several _holds_." She sobered. "Did you see the message I sent out earlier? The hawk should have reached you first."

"About the situation in High Rock?" Elisif nodded, her eyes grim. "I'm...bracing myself up for dropping the order to start mobilizing what forces we can spare on Tullius and the other Jarls. I remember what you told me about the Volkihar."

"If you need me to arrive in dragon armor, or on dragonback to back you up, just send word," Ravenlight said. "I'm right across the harbor. And this is _serious_. I was there to check on the situation less than four days ago, and I suspect that, unless a third of the clans have already been destroyed by infighting, we are well beyond a simple crisis point." She smirked. "Though, if you'd like to get them going on professional jealousy alone, we stopped by Morrowind first, and the Dunmer are already mobilizing to march for High Rock."

"Oh." Elisif smirked. "That _will_ get up the Jarl's backsides, won't it? Yes, I'll be sure to drop a mention of that while speaking to them."

It took a while for Endarie to return with the requested clothing; but she did, and allowed Ravenlight to examine it to make sure it was all suitable. Warm, comfortable, attractive...and most importantly in her eyes, each outfit looked as though it would fit the five Altmer currently sleeping off their near-execution in her cellar. "These will do perfectly," she said. "And...boots. I need four men's and one woman's pair of boots, also for Altmer."

Those were more quickly found than the specific clothing, at least, and Ravenlight paid the exorbitant price Endarie requested without batting an eye. In truth, she could have afforded a price five times higher, and they all knew it. She folded up the clothes and put them in the knapsack she'd brought with her, then bid Endarie-and the disguised Elisif-farewell and left the shop.

As she did, she considered what else she might need. Spiced wine was needed; it was one of the few wines she was happy to drink, and she was now short by at least three bottles. Maybe her Thalmor guests were used to more expensive vintages; but she didn't know any place that still stocked most of them, now that the Embassy stood desolate. And putting in a special order through Vittoria Vici was plausible-and, because the woman knew she owed Drizzt and Ravenlight her life, would not be overly expensive-but it would take too long. The five Altmer, therefore, could content themselves with Evette San's finest.

She also wanted more dragonbone arrows-and more Elven arrows that could be brought to Gelebor to be sun-blessed. And she would need to head to the Forgotten Vale soon. Gelebor had become interested in the movement of Tamiel's vampires since discovering what had happened to his brother, and this was something he would want to know about. Ravenlight had plenty of wood for shafts and bone to be made into arrowheads...but she couldn't immediately remember if she had enough moonstone or fletching. So...a stop by the fletcher's, and then the blacksmith's, was a must. She headed up the sloping street toward Castle Dour and the shops that stood there.

* * *

Drelasa stood by the gathering of food stalls, more than a little shocked. She had _not_ expected to find the old man so quickly...nor did she expect to see what she saw.

He had been old the last time she had seen him, but this decrepit old creature was far beyond old. The bodyguard at hand was less for protection and more for assistance at this point.

She gripped at her necklace. She had come ready for a fight. She had all her arguments perfectly planned out and witty comebacks lines up. They faltered and flew away in the breeze like ash along with her resolve and courage. She had intended to twist arms...but not like this.

"_Hla'silvar?_" a voice behind her asked. "Is that you?"

Heart hammering, she spun around. "Garvon!" She threw her arms around the elderly Dunmer's neck before she could even think to collect herself. She had resigned herself to never seeing the old mer ever again after all that had happened.

"Oh my, it _is_ you!" He hugged her back, not the least bit upset at how she had nearly knocked him to the ground. "I have missed you so much. What are you doing here? This is the last place I thought I'd see you."

"It's...a long story..." She looked over at the shriveled old Dunmer man.

"Ah, I see." He smiled and took her hand. "Come; let's find a place to talk where we won't be so easily overheard."

Drelasa tried to count their steps but her mind was so scattered that she miscounted too many times to even keep up. Still, she didn't feel the slightest bit in danger with her old friend. He took her to a tavern, rather empty this time of day, and settled into a table out of the way.

"So, little star, how is everything?" Garvon asked, getting a drink in her hands. "We haven't spoken since the day you left but...I heard about your boy. It certainly raised the most glorious ruckus back home. And I heard about your husband. I am so very sorry."

"Wasn't...a good day...And those vultures will never know about my son." Drelasa shut her eyes. "But that's not why I'm here. I...needed a favor, any favor I have left. I wanted… supplies sent to High Rock. There's trouble and I didn't want them to be high and dry but… seeing him..."

"The old man is not in charge any more." Garvon said seriously. "His mind isn't what it used to be but he is not senile. However, the moment it slipped the others pounced and forced him out. He liked the sound of the name of the city. Said it sounded like bliss."

Drelasa dropped her head. She had failed before she had even began to consider this fool's errand. "I should have known..." Drelasa whispered. "The day I left...I knew the only friend I had left in the family was you. _Gahata_ was the most reasonable but I knew he was so angry with me for running off with that silver-tongued commoner. I had hoped that the years...and...and...Jorun being..."

Garvon took her hand and held it tight. "They are all still fighting over the old man's recent retirement."

"I'm sure every distant cousin has been prowling in shadows since my banishment." Drelasa said bitterly.

"Yes but..." Garvon's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait a moment, little star. All hope isn't lost just yet."

"What do you mean?" Drelasa asked. "I was disowned. Not something to come back from, even if I'm no longer married."

"No, your _parents_ disowned you." Garvon said. "But your _grandfather_ did not! You are still heir!"

Drelasa took a massive swig of her drink to calm her suddenly flaring nerves, her heart pounding at the implications. She was still heir! She didn't want this, had never wanted it but...she tried her best to look at it not from the emotions of the daughter who had run away but from the strategic viewpoint of an Armiger.

"Garvon...I have a very risky favor to ask of you," she said slowly. "I understand if you say no."

"_Hla'silvar_, when have I ever said no to you?" Garvon asked kindly. He was right. He had never told her no. If there was one being in this world who would do something for her without seeking favor or had other motives, it was the old servant who had looked after her since she was a child.

Drelasa borrowed some parchment and a quill from the tavern owner and quickly wrote out two letters for Garvon. The entire time she wrote, the phrase 'This is stupid!' ran through her mind. When they were finished she sat back and stared at them.

"You can always abdicate later." Garvon said kindly.

"The damage will be done." Drelasa took a deep swallow of her drink. "There may well be assassins waiting for me when I return home. At the very least, a stack of nasty letters."

"Is there anyone to worry about?" Garvon asked. "Back home?"

"They can try but they won't get as far as they think." Drelasa said grimly. They wouldn't either. The Watch was insanely loyal both to her husband and now to her son. If they caught wind of someone getting nosy in her family business, they would take action. Not to mention the local Morag Tong avoided her son like the plague since he had dispatched a few of their assassins before threatening to pin the guild master to the top of Root Spire. No, home was safe. They'd come for her and only her.

Her mind made up, she took her necklace off, sliding her signet ring off. She had no idea why she kept the ring but now, she was glad she had it. She dripped wax onto the letters and pressed her ring to them. This ring was unique to her and her only. There was no denying these letters.

"Deliver the orders for a caravan to High Rock first." She handed both to Garvon. "Then the declaration to the family. I...don't want you hurt so have someone else deliver it."

Garvon took them. "When you ran off with that bodyguard, it caused a flurry." He said. "This will cause a firestorm. But you are the most level-headed of them all. This is a very good thing."

Drelasa drained her drink. She certainly hoped so.

* * *

Drelasa waited until Garvon had gone before going back to the docks, needing to be away from people and walls for a moment. If everything went according to plan, goods and supplies to not only bolster the armies going to High Rock but enough to help support the towns in the fighting zones would soon be on their way. _If_.

She looked out over the water, gripping the other ring on her necklace. It was a simple silver band with no other adornments, all Jorun had been able to afford at the time. He had given her other jewelry, far more luxurious than this, over the years but none were as special as the one he had given up nearly everything he owned to get, just for her.

"I miss you...more than ever." She whispered. "I wish I had your advice now, no matter how bad or smug."

Drelasa eventually took control of herself and headed back to Solitude. She did, after all, promise to buy more wine for Ravenlight. Nevano would owe her later, even if she had to shake him upside down. Mer had a drinking problem he refused to admit to...but, as he had said, he had been drinking since he was 14 years old. It wouldn't stop any time soon. Lucky for him, his little gift kept his liver from dying, somehow.

* * *

Ravenlight was mildly relieved to see that Jawanan, not Fihada, was at the counter. She didn't get along all that well with Fihada, after an argument she'd got into with him over arrows capable of taking down a dragon-she'd been asking an honest question, for Talos's sake, not trying to insult his intelligence!-and she strongly suspected that her bow Breatheater, which she had made from the jaw of an unusually powerful frost dragon, wasn't helping matters.  
She nearly bought him out of raw shafts, and the feathers for both dragonbone and Elven styles. He also had several bundles of Elven arrows ready-made; and she was glad to take those off his hands as well. Then, ready for work, she headed over to the smithy to start work on the dragonbone arrows.

* * *

Drelasa dug into her pack for the few septims she still had. Morrowind had declared its currency back to drakes after the rebellion; but, as Jorun had advised, she kept quite a few in the former. Gold might be gold but people got particular over what face was stamped on the pieces. Ridiculous. Still, she had plenty to buy several bottles and something for Nevano to keep him from nosing in too much. She hated enabling this; but there were far worse vices.

She took a moment to appreciate Solitude as a whole. It truly was a beautiful city, perched on the cliffs above the sea. It reminded her of Necrom. There was even the feel of spirits close by; though, she shuddered a bit, if stories were true, those were a bit more sinister in nature than those in the necropolis.

Blaise waved to her as he ran past with several other kids in tow. What they were playing wasn't clear; but one of the girls with him was carrying a toy bow and some blunted arrows, while Blaise had two wooden swords, and another girl had draped a dark piece of cloth around her shoulders and head in lieu of a cloak.

They ran around the gate leading to the inner city, where they immediately engaged in mock battle with another group of children, also armed with wooden swords. It wasn't clear who the others were supposed to be: bandits, vampires, or possibly even Stormcloaks; this _was_ an Imperial city, after all.

Drelasa smiled and waved back, watching them a moment. She was glad not everyone was having a stressful day.

"Oh," a voice said behind her," a new face? There often aren't new Dunmer here in Solitude."

Drelasa turned to see a woman, dressed in plain, even drab, clothing, a few strands of tawny hair escaping from her cap. She had apparently been passing by the market when she noticed the Dunmer woman, and was looking her over curiously.

She smiled and nodded. "It _is_ a bit from Morrowind. Not to mention bloody cold. We are not quite as stout to the cold, I'm afraid!"

"If you think it's cold now," the woman said with a smile, "then I'd advise making sure not to arrive any earlier in the year! It's actually quite balmy out, for a spring day." She looked up. "Summer will be lovely; though even then, you have to be used to our weather." She paused. "If you don't mind my asking, what brings you here?"

"Visiting old friends," she said. It was not so much a lie as a half truth; but lies came easy these days.

"A good visit, I hope?"

"The new friends I've made along the way have been the most enjoyable." Now that one was completely true.

"New ones?" She smiled. "I...know that feeling. And it's all the better when the new friends are true." She turned, though it was doubtful she heard the sound of Ravenlight's footsteps over the bustle of the city, and smiled at her as she approached.

Ravenlight returned the smile, then looked at Drelasa. She had the knapsack over one shoulder, and carried two carefully-wrapped bundles in her hand. "About finished with what you needed, then?"

The woman looked between them. "Oh! So you two know each other?"

"Yes. New friends in the strangest places." Drelasa smiled. "And yes, darling. All finished."

"So am I." Ravenlight looked between the two, and it looked like she was trying to keep a straight face. "And we'd better get back before things come to a boiling point over there without us to keep it steady." She turned toward the mock battle. "Blaise! We're done."

There was a chorus of disappointed, "Awwws," but Blaise came over right away...if dragging his feet and making it clear he was reluctant to do so. Ravenlight ruffled his hair. "We'll come back," she promised. "Right now, though, we need to get home. Come on, little harbormaster, we need you to run the skiff again."

Drelasa inclined her head politely and followed the two down to the docks. She waited until they were in the skiff and a decent distance from shore. "When you see her next, darling, do pass along my regards. And tell her while the costume is good, she needs to learn to walk like a commoner too."

"I was wondering if you were going to pick up on that." Ravenlight grinned. "I'll tell her who you were, too." She shrugged. "Though the walk isn't that uncommon here. Nords swagger, Altmer strut; with that many races in one place, only the _very_ observant-like you-are going to catch it. And...admittedly, I get the impression that most folk really don't know what Elisif actually looks like, not really. She does hide behind the robes, the crown, and the throne."

"Or the ones she really doesn't _want_ to notice." Drelasa sighed. "I could be overly suspicious, though. I might be handling far worse than her just wanting a walk. She is in a city full of those who would protect her, identity known or no."

"She's not just wanting a walk." Ravenlight smirked. "I bet you anything she was sounding you out. Elisif told me, back when I was helping prop her up on the throne, that she was trained to practically be a spymaster herself: act the part of the silly, frail, easily-underestimated creature...but keep her eyes and ears open at all times. If Ulfric hadn't killed her husband, he would have become a _formidable_ king, with a source of information like that behind him." She shook her head. "Elisif's real problem at first was that she didn't know who to trust. She could have secretly sounded them out, if she hadn't been trying to run the country and deal with the dragons, the Thalmor, and the Stormcloaks...but once all those were dropped in her lap, she didn't know what to deal with first. Tullius offered support, and she was so overwhelmed that she just grabbed it with both hands."

Drelasa nodded. "Quite a bit all at once."

"It probably would have been overwhelming even to someone trained for it all. And to someone who'd thought she'd be a secret power?" Ravenlight shook her head. "She told me straight out that there were times that she felt like she was drowning. She knew she wasn't doing a good job, and she wanted to do better; but she had no idea how to even _start_ going about it. About the first thing she asked me to do, when we met, was ask if I, an adventurer not connected with the Legion or Stormcloaks, could go investigate some strange activity in a cave near one of the towns. She'd been asked to do something about it-and I strongly get the impression that she might have actually suspected the truth-but she'd been advised not to do anything...drastic. So officially, she increased patrols in the area." Ravenlight gazed across the water. "Then, unofficially, she asked me and Drizzt to see what was actually going on."

"Hmmm, sounds very familiar." Drelasa smiled sadly.

"We stopped a cult trying to resurrect the Wolf Queen Potema. After that, I made a habit of stopping by the Blue Palace secretly whenever we went to Solitude and talking with her; giving her advice, telling her my take on events and the players; slowly got her out from Tullius's shadow and into her own strength."

"What's most important is that she seems to have listened to you...and learned." Drelasa said.

"She did," Ravenlight agreed. "She still tends to be underestimated...but she's finally learned to work that to her advantage."

"Good. She'll do well then." Drelasa glanced at the Blue Palace. "Any political arena is as deadly as a gladiatorial one."

"If not more so." Ravenlight grimaced. "I've...seen what happens when politics gets too personal. Actually stood in with the Emperor as bodyguard when they found out he had a Dark Brotherhood contract on him. He knew where it came from, too. Someone who disagreed with him on a particularly...trivial matter, comparatively." She shook her head. "I prefer dragon politics. Respect the Thu'um. Simple as that."

"To them...nothing is 'trivial'. In fact, that word does not exist. The mere act of a single piece of cutlery that does not match can be used against them." Drelasa said. "It is a game. A very deadly game, true...but there are rules, players and more acts and schemes than any traveling troupe can come up with. If one throws their hand in, they must play for keeps or risk losing more than just a hand. There is never a moment's rest from it." She sighed. "I'm sorry...there is no need for that. It's been quite a day. Quite a few days, actually."

"Won't argue with that." Ravenlight grimaced and shifted. "And neither will my hindquarters. I'd thought I was a little more hardened to the constant riding than that." She was quiet for a moment, then huffed out a laugh. "Once I find out that everyone's heading to Whiterun, where I asked them to gather, I'm going to give directions and ask Nevusa if _I_ can be a cat for a while. Might be a little more comfortable that time around."

"I daresay you will find her more than a little eager." Drelasa smiled a little.

"That's the one thing that gives me pause," Ravenlight admitted. "I've...seen a lot at the College of Winterhold, and not all of it good."

"Yes, word of...quite a bit of it has reached my ears." Drelasa said. "Though if you asked a Shad Astula mage, you'd think...ah never mind. You've met enough Dunmer to know how we can get. I do get on to her when she gets excited outside a sanctioned place...so I told her to do so under my roof. Keeps accidents low."

"You should meet the Harpells, from my brother's world." Ravenlight shook her head. "If I were to describe them, I'd say they followed Julianos by way of _Sheogorath_."

"Oh my..."

"Indeed. Any and all passersby are advised to stand _well_ away from any experiments they may be trying, and possibly have a magical shield of sorts on them just in case." Ravenlight shook her head. "When we have the leisure, I'll ask him for some stories."

She looked up as Blaise steered the little skiff into port. "Good job, Blaise. Ah..." She frowned as Valdimar appeared, coming with more haste than usual down the path. "Valdimar?"

He stopped in front of her and exhaled. "Ravenlight, the Altmer woman is awake, and...not very happy."

Ravenlight's eyebrows shot up. "What? What's going on?"

A combination of humor and alarm fought in her housecarl's eyes. "She's shouting at one of the men...and I believe she's asked about infernal pacts three times now."

"That sounds like good news..." Drelasa muttered

Ravenlight hefted the knapsack over her shoulder. "All right, let's go see what's going on before someone does something they will _really_ regret."

"Darling, I think I will leave this to you." Drelasa murmured. "I doubt throwing a Dunmer into the mix will help."

* * *

**(Well, that's always a fun something to come back to! As always, let me know how you enjoyed it. Thanks!)**


	16. An Eventful Return

**Spoiler warning ahead for 'Dungeons and Dragonborn!'**

* * *

**An Eventful Return**

The voices were not audible until they entered the main room. Then they became faint, but possible to hear, growing louder as she approached the trapdoor leading down.

"I assure you, Elealda," she heard Gyrmallion-who sounded as though he couldn't decide if he was genuinely frightened or about to fall over laughing-say, "I had absolutely _nothing_ to do with this."

"So who _did?_" The voice was loud, impatient, irritated...and oddly frightened and fond at the same time, which was about the oddest combination Ravenlight had ever heard. "I know you, Gyrmallion! There is no one in the entire _Dominion_ who is as-as stubbornly loyal to his own men as you! I've chased you up and down through the ranks, and back and forth across Tamriel, because I promised your father I'd try to keep you whole despite that! And I heard you-praying, and cursing fate, and-while we were chained to those poles! This-" there was a pause, and Ravenlight imagined the woman sweeping her hands around to indicate the cellar, "is _not_ a plane of any afterlife I've ever heard of, and we could not have escaped there by ourselves! The Aedra give nothing to the dying but comfort and thought of life after! So, I ask again! _Who did you bargain with to get us out of there?!_"

That was a cue if she'd ever heard one. Ravenlight pulled the trapdoor open and slid down the ladder, landing easily on her feet. "Technically," she said cheerfully, her voice making the woman jump, "he bargained with me." She tossed the knapsack to him. "There's clothing in there; it should be the right size for all of you."

She smiled Elealda, who had turned to stare, blinking, at her. She was the only one technically 'dressed'; she'd knotted the wool blanket that had covered her around her chest. "My apologies; I'd have introduced myself back when I got you all out of there, but Gyrmallion was the only one really coherent. I'm Ravenlight, most often called _Dovahkiin_. Welcome to my home."

* * *

Drelasa sighed at the sudden silence, knowing it was probably the calm before a storm, and went to make lunch. At least _her_ brood had the sense to stay outside, away from the brewing eruption, and were busily sparring. That would keep them occupied for a while.

* * *

Elealda sat down on the cot behind her with a thump. There was a stifled yelp, because that particular cot was still occupied...and the occupant had actually pulled the pillow over his head in an effort to stay asleep before she sat on him. She stared at the Bosmer, eyes wider than if the Elf had been a ghost...or a Daedra, for that matter.

"Divines," she whispered, half in awe, half in horror. "I-the _Dragonborn_. How..._why?_"

"Shortest answer? Wanton cruelty is the best way I know of to really get me mad-and put me on the side of the ones receiving it." She nodded past Elealda. "And I think you're sitting on..." she glanced at Gyrmallion, "Tellindil, right?"

"Yes," came a muffled growl from beneath the pillow. "Get off."

The woman looked down, suddenly realized that she was sitting on his back, if not shoulders and neck, and moved hastily.

"To explain more fully," Ravenlight said, aware that more than Elealda was listening, "I met with Gyrmallion four days ago, in the morning, and thought that he should know that the Thalmor were being played for fools by an ancient vampire living in the ruins you were trying to dig up." She glanced over at him. "He proved unusually reasonable, especially when I told him that about twelve vampire clans had converged on the ruins, and were about to turn the immediate area into their battleground. He said he would turn the Thalmor forces in the town to the town's defense, should the vampires draw too close; and shortly afterward, helped my adopted brother to rescue one of our company who'd managed to get himself captured."

Elealda looked over at Gyrmallion. "Was that how he managed to get stabbed?"

Gyrmallion shrugged. "It had to look like an actual rescue attempt, and not me letting a prisoner go."

Her mouth twisted disapprovingly. "Well...if that was deliberate, then I should probably congratulate your brother on his swordwork. A quarter of an inch in _any_ direction, and that amulet wouldn't have done much to keep this idiot's life in his body."

At almost that moment, there was a loud, if muffled, _floomph_ from outside. Ravenlight glanced up. "And I might need to go find out what my _other_ guests are doing before someone tries to tear the house down."

There was a pause before quiet, light footsteps that somehow managed to have the feel of doom, headed outside. "And there goes Drelasa." Ravenlight shook her head. "Would you mind waiting for the rest of this explanation while I go see what, exactly, is going on?"

"Ahh..." Elealda swallowed, then nodded. "Yes. I-we should be all right. For the time being."

Still, as Ravenlight went upstairs and closed the trapdoor, she heard Elealda's voice rise from below. "Gyrmallion, I want an explanation!"

* * *

Outside...was a scene of chaos. Drelasa had one twin squealing by the ear while the other was smoking slightly. Veleth was laughing so hard he could barely remain upright. Nevusa was frantically throwing mild ice spells over the smoking twin. Lucia and Connlach, Ravenlight noted, were sitting well to the side, both watching in wide-eyed fascination. Drelasa looked mad enough to set the twins on even ground with her glare alone.

"Dare I ask what just happened?" Ravenlight slowly looked from one end of the scene to the other.

Veleth tried to explain between bouts of laughter but he could barely wheeze in a breath of air, much less talk. Nevusa looked a bit frantic as she stopped the ice spells briefly...only to yelp along with the afflicted twin as he seemed to burst into flames again.

"It won't kill him." Drelasa said furiously, twisting the ear she was holding, causing an even louder yelp. "Pitch?! DO YOU TWO S'WITS HAVE A BRAIN SHARED BETWEEN YOU?!"

"_Pitch?!_ Ravenlight's eyebrows arched. "As in, _pine tar_? You were burning that this close to the _house!?_"

"_Ohl n'chow'ag s'with_!" Drelasa waved a hand and sand from the shore buried the twin. "_Ohl alni adur maltif! Gah bahr muhri bahr'lorkod! Cishu isk! Os'ean bivi ferghad ohuhn!_" She whirled and stormed back inside.

Ravenlight, while still not sure what was going on, gave each of the potential players an extremely dangerous glare before turning for follow Drelasa back in. Connlach and Lucia, grateful to not be the target of their mother's ire, giggled wickedly as they continued to watch.

"They are _all_ over a century old and yet they _still_ have the brain power of a drunk guar!" Sparks were practically flying from Drelasa's eyes. "_Idiots!_ How many times have they taken care of weapons? HOW did they manage to set themselves _on fire?!_ Did their mother never _box their damned ears?!_"

Ravenlight groaned and covered her face. "I am not, for any reason, introducing them to J'zargo. None."

"If there is any risk of anything or anyone being set on fire, don't do it." Drelasa stormed back into the kitchen. "How they survived on their own is _beyond me_!"

"Idiots." Ravenlight sighed. "At this point, I'm starting to wonder if I should send someone out to find Serana and Nevano. He might not have _much_ more sense than those two, but at least Serana would keep him from setting himself on fire."

"Even when barely able to sit up without aid, he's managed to not set himself on fire while taking care of his weapons." Drelasa grunted. "Though THAT is from the man who raised him. You did _not_ mess that bit up."

"Speaking of setting things on fire..." Ravenlight turned to see Drizzt, who had not left the house with the others when she'd gone down to reveal herself to the Thalmor woman, "how are our _other_ guests? She sounded...irritable, to say the least."

"Well, she was all but accusing Gyrmallion of making a pact with…possibly Mehrunes Dagon or Clavicus Vile, or someone similar, to get them off the execution poles," Ravenlight answered, her lips quirking up, "but I don't think she's planning to set _him_ on fire any time soon."

"Fantastic..." Drelasa muttered. "Spontaneously combusting twins and Thalmor who think the most destructive daedra lord is about to come get them. Am I missing anything?"

"I think she's figured out it wasn't Mehrunes Dagon. Though I don't know if she thinks I'm any better." Ravenlight sighed and looked around. "Drizzt...has anyone been able to figure out when the last time they saw Nevano and Serana? Getting to know each other is good and all, but I'm starting to get worried-and not just about _his_ explosion when he finds out about the Thalmor in the cellar."

"If he wants to ever drink again without wondering if I've poisoned it, he'll keep it to a minimum." Drelasa promised darkly.

* * *

A few moments later, just as Ravenlight was beginning to consider asking Drizzt if Guenhwyvar was rested enough to go out looking for them, the front door opened and closed, and two familiar voices came in. Nevano and Serana were not walking hand-in-hand...but they were definitely smiling whenever they looked at each other. Right at the moment, however, they were mainly looking puzzled.

"What in the world happened with those twins?" Serana asked.

"_Twins_ happened." Drelasa said. Really, that explained everything.

Nevano nodded. He had seen enough of their hijinks to know that even one of them was trouble. Since they were always together...well, it was like herding cats. Nevusa had turned them into the appropriate animal.

Ravenlight shook her head, before turning to them. "So. You two have been gone for most of the day. Mind telling me where you went?"

Nevano gave her a sweet smile. "Chasing butterflies."

Drelasa facepalmed.

"Catch any?" Ravenlight said, deadpan. "I could use a few more for my healing potions."

Nevano swiftly dug into his bag and handed her three wings.

"Hmm. They must have been pretty hard to catch." Ravenlight held them up, examining them closely. "Just three...huh. You went pretty far afield for these. This kind of pattern isn't found in the marsh." She put the wings down. "Pretty respectable distance, to get all the way down to Falkreath Hold and back in one day."

It was still impossible for Serana to blush. But she looked as though she was turning bright red anyway.

"What can I say?" Nevano shrugged. "It was the best looking one I had ever seen. I absolutely had to see more."

"Uh-huh." Ravenlight raised an eyebrow. "Nevano...just for future reference, Falkreath Hold is at the southern border of Skyrim. It's a day and a half's journey on horseback, in good weather, and without bandits cropping up." She glanced between them. "So. Got to know each other pretty well today, then, did you?"

Now it was Nevano's turn to facepalm. "I'm well aware. I was just...you know what, never mind." He sighed. "Yes. We did."

She allowed them to squirm a little, before turning back to the fire. "Did you remember to stop by the Thaumaturgist's Hut, or talk to Falion, at least?"

"And your strange...jarl?" Nevano frowned. "That the term? I'm really over fortune telling..."

"Ah, Igrod did ask to see you, then?" Ravenlight turned. "What did she have to say?"

"The usual doom and gloom." He said, shrugging. "Nothing I hadn't heard before."

"Interesting," Ravenlight muttered. "Idgrod's not usually one for out-and-out doom and gloom. Cryptic, yes, that's her...specialty. I might need to go talk with her myself tomorrow." She looked over at Drelasa. "How soon would you say it's safe for the other five to have an actual meal? I don't know how your concoction works, so I'm not sure if they should have something light still, or if it can be heartier."

"As it was only four days and not weeks or months, they can try a light meal." Drelasa said. "Light meat like fish or bird though, and small portions. In a day or so they can be worked back up to their previous fare."

"You weren't kidding." Nevano said. "Where did you find five more?"

"Made a quick trip to High Rock earlier," Ravenlight answered calmly.

Nevano frowned, not quite connecting the dots yet.

"Even if they don't agree to fight with us, I don't think they'll need much in the way of even _asking_ to let us know what the rest of the Thalmor have planned." She shrugged, going with the 'believable' option first. "And staked out like that...I wasn't going to stand for that. For anyone."

"_Gad bahr. Os khamir analen ohm sujamma._" Drelasa warned.

Nevano's eyes went wide but he stayed quiet.

"Remember the one who helped me break you out?" Drizzt asked. Nevano raised an eyebrow. "Him and a few others-the ones he knew he could trust. I believe Ravenlight mentioned she'd seen that they'd been staked out for the vampires last night."

"Well..." Nevano said. "I said I'd be impressed if they survived...color me impressed."

"Good." Ravenlight turned at a slight sound in the doorway behind them. "Gyrmallion. Elealda finally let you go, did she?"

The Altmer still looked fairly pale, and was leaning against the wall to steady himself; but there was a little smile on his face, and he had made it out of the cellar and halfway down the room without collapsing. Ravenlight took that as progress.

"She ran out of energy," he answered wryly.

Nevano eyed him, but Drelasa's threat rang in his mind, and kept his mouth shut.

"She's not the only one still...fairly weak, either." Gyrmallion glanced at Nevano, but didn't react-though he stiffened when he saw Serana, and his hand briefly tightened against the wall. "I came up to see if there was anything...safe for us to eat yet." He swallowed. "Even more of that...stuff. From earlier."

Nevano narrowed his eyes at that.

Drelasa gave him a warning look. "Half a moment. I was in the process but someone tried to set themselves on fire and distracted me."

"Is that what that sound was?" Gyrmallion started to sway. Ravenlight sprang forward to steady him, and dragged a chair over. He nodded. "My...my thanks."

"It was." Drelasa went into the kitchen.

Ravenlight looked at the color of his skin. "Let me get you something to drink before you faint." She followed Drelasa, emerging a moment later with a cup in her hand. "Honeyed wine. Just sip at it. It's a fairly strong wine."

He nodded, accepting the cup and taking careful sips. A few moments later, he looked up and met Nevano's eyes. "You can say it. Whatever you're wanting to."

"I value my hide more." Nevano said.

"I've probably heard it already. A hundred times over." He took another drink. "Everywhere."

Nevano twitched and not in a good way.

"Elealda's reaction to finding us here was understandable." He looked at Ravenlight. "Who would believe anyone _willingly_ helped Thalmor?"

She held his gaze. "You know why, then."

"Yes." He closed his eyes. "I've been in them since...the beginning. Our house was… high among the nobles of Summerset. Half the elders of my kin died when the Crystal Tower fell. The Dominion...expected us to join." He looked back at her. "I assume you know how the Dominion expects anything."

"Same way it does anything else." Nevano said flatly.

"With a blade at the throat." He lowered the cup. "We didn't want anything to do with them. We wanted to rebuild our house and help heal the Isles from the Oblivion Crisis. My father...the leader of our house...had led the fight against the Gates. He'd been injured. He couldn't..." His voice trailed off. "I joined the Dominion," he said flatly. "I and my...brothers. Glaeilindil...Ganalmo. We joined. We fought. We rose...because we knew what would happen to our kin if we didn't."

He looked from Ravenlight, to Drizzt, to Nevano. "I'm not excusing anything I did while among them. I'm not...asking for forgiveness. Just...asking you to understand: that it's possible to be one of them, and hate them as much as everyone else." He looked at Ravenlight again. "Glaielindil fell during the Great War. Ganalmo...made it through. He was at the ruins, when they were opened." His hand tightened. "He was the first one to go in."

Nevano was as tight as an over twisted rope, not yielding in the slightest.

Gyrmallion stood, steadier than he had been earlier. "You don't have to trust me a second longer than necessary. I don't...expect you to." His eyes burned with almost fevered intensity. "But I will fight against them. And if there's anything you want to know...I will tell it." He handed the cup back, then turned and made his way back to the cellar.

Nevano glared, set back even more in his hatred of them with that last bit.

"I'd _wondered_ why he was so quick to believe me when I told him about the ruin," Ravenlight muttered.

Nevano pressed his lips into a tight line. He valued Ravenlight and Drelasa far more than his hatred of the Thalmor. He wouldn't say it.

"The more I find out about the Thalmor, the more...unpleasantly familiar they sound," Drizzt said. "It all stinks of the Underdark."

"The talk about understanding how one would be a Thalmor and still hate them is fine and good...just don't ever count on me believing it." Nevano chose his words carefully. Then he glanced at Ravenlight. "They are _more_ than lucky you have such a good heart."

Ravenlight, oddly enough, had reached out to take Drizzt's hand. "I've seen what lies at the end of the path of selfishness and hate," she said simply. "If aiding an enemy is what will keep me from ending up like...like Alduin, or Miraak, I'll do it." She heaved a sigh. "Besides...last time I helped a Thalmor, it...worked out for the best."

"This was the first time I ever talked to a Thalmor that didn't include death, blood or a burning city." Nevano doubted he could ever achieve her level of forgiveness.

"I didn't talk to him, the first time." Ravenlight shrugged. "He was...just a kid. Up in the Reach; the land can be treacherous, and he'd taken a wrong step, fallem into one of the rivers. We dragged him out and turned him so that the water would drain out and he'd be able to keep breathing. Didn't even know he'd seen who'd done it." Her hand tightened on Drizzt's. "Some time later, I was captured by the Thalmor. They'd been careful; they covered their tracks. No one knew where I was or what had happened. They were going to take me out of Skyrim; if that had happened..."

"But they weren't supposed to tell anyone. Elenwen...had me at the Embassy at first, before moving me to a secret fortress on the northernmost shoreline. The young one I'd saved saw me. Recognized me. He...pretended to be a little drunk at the next party Elenwen threw, just two days after I'd been moved out. He talked to the bard they'd hired for entertainment; didn't say anything outright, but dropped enough hints that she was able to guess what he was talking about. She told Drizzt and Serana; and they got help and came after me. They were able to get me out because of him."

Nevano was careful to not glance at Serana. Her story made sense now. "I'll save you what they would have done." He said. "The stack of reports that Jorun had on this...and those were the ones he knew about."

"I know what they would have done, too," Ravenlight said. "Because I know what they _did._" She reached up, unfastening the laces of her dress, and opened it halfway down the chest. Time had faded the scars a little: but they were still an ugly, livid red, striping across the pale flesh of her lower throat and breasts. "These? Elenwen gave me them. I'd have to take everything off to show you the rest of them. If they'd taken me, I would have died."

"Not right away...they'd have sent a piece back to break everyone back home." Nevano winced in sympathy. He knew how those scars felt very keenly. He'd never forget that pain. "They will go large scale too. The war was over. There was no reason to raze an out-of-the way city almost fully to the ground but they did. Said it was on the way to Hammerfell? If so, why raze the city? Why burn it and slaughter innocent people? I do not understand it. I get he wanted to save his family, I _do_...but that will never give him the right to destroy so many others. You, a small innocent family in Skyrim, the city of Chorrol...at what point is it enough?"

Her eyes changed; glowed. "Evil is never satisfied. But you know that, don't you? What fuels them. It is what spurred Dagoth Ur; Vivec, and Almalexia. It fueled and caused the Oblivion Crisis. It spurred Alduin in his anger, the Volkihar in their hunger, Miraak in his pride. It rides them now, all of them who travel their path willingly. And it destroys; because that is all it can do."

"There are so many different paths to take. It's why I don't trust his words. Because it's just that...words. I'm sorry he lost so much...but then he turned around and aided in taking the exact same thing from...so many others." Nevano shook his head. He was so _tired_ of fighting it.

"I'll just say this," Ravenlight said, lacing up her dress again. "He's the first one I've ever met who was willing to come out of the shadows and talk face-to-face. And if they're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen, be they Thalmor, Dragon...or Drow." She turned to Drelasa. "I'll give you a hand with dinner here. Just let me know what you're needing."

* * *

Nevano stayed quiet while Drelasa once again took over everything food related. He knew what Ravenlight was saying but he wasn't ready to entertain it right now. He wasn't sure when, if ever, he could.

Nevano looked down at his hand. Moon-and-Star gleamed at him. He clenched his hand and looked at Serana. "I...I think...I know what I need to do." He said carefully. "I don't want to. I really don't want to but I guess...I guess we do the things we don't want to do, to make things _better_."

Serana touched his shoulder. "Is there something I can help with?"

He smiled at her, a smile he hadn't given to anyone in a very long time. "I promise it won't be as drastic as what I did earlier."

She smiled back. "Good. I don't think I can sneak you in again if they know to watch for me."

He grinned. "I'd just say leave me outside. I can sleep in a tree."

"Early in the year as it is?" Ravenlight glanced over her shoulder wryly. "You'd have to sleep _in_ the fireplace in the morning to thaw out. Just don't do anything...overly stupid out there, and I won't raise hell over it."

"Wouldn't be the first Dunmer to sleep in a fire!" He said a bit cheerfully. Then he sobered up a bit. "Not outside this time. Down there." He nodded at the cellar's trapdoor.

Ravenlight turned at that, and gave him a long, questioning look. But she nodded. "I will tell you only this: they have already been warned against abusing my hospitality. Please remember you are a guest here, as well."

"I don't, and won't, forget." Nevano said. "Later though...after they've eaten and gotten a nap. Nerevar has a few things he wants to say to them as well. Nerevar, who does not have an axe to grind with them."

* * *

The evening passed quietly. Ravenlight and Drelasa fixed the evening meal together, fresh horker loaf for their respective families, and a lighter fish stew for the five Altmer below. The twins had recovered from their mishap, though one of them was still covered with pinkish scars that made Serana visibly uncomfortable to look at. Connlach talked the most, telling his mother about gathering seashells, about the ones he'd kept for himself, and excitedly holding forth on the encounter with the horkers and the saber cat.

Nevano shot Serana an amused look. They had missed an interesting day. Though...he wouldn't have traded it!

The cellar was quiet, as the five Elves were still tired and weak, perfectly happy to eat their meal and then go back to sleep. Above, they chatted for a while longer. Ravenlight told Nevano a little more about Idgrod Ravencrone; Serana was persuaded to tell about some of the work she'd been doing with the Dawnguard; and even Drizzt was willing to open up and talk-though not in great detail-about what his life was like at his own home. A few sarcastic muttered comments from Ravenlight prompted requests for clarification, and he told the Dunmer about one of his allies, the irrepressible Jarlaxle.

"NOW it makes sense what you were going on about!" Nevano said. "I'm not _that_ bad. Even_ I_ want to smack him, and I haven't even met him!"

"He's a little too fond of dicing with death," Drizzt agreed. "I keep warning him that sooner or later she's going to forget she's grateful to him for helping rescue me that one time."

"It almost wasn't enough to keep him whole," Ravenlight growled. "He grabbed me one time, and I almost shoved his arm up _his_."

"Start by cutting off offending digits." Nevano said. "Then move to the whole hand, then arm, until they get the point. They can live without those."

"Oh, no, I was going to remove the hand at the elbow. And then shove it up the same place he'd just grabbed until he could _taste_ it." Her hand clenched. "He just got the point in time to prevent bloodshed. At least _that_ made sure he's kept his blasted hands to himself, though I'd have to sew his mouth shut with _wire_ to get rid of the second problem."

"I might know of..." Nevano started.

"No." Veleth said.

"Oh come _on_, it would work perfectly!"

"_No_."

"Just because it costs an enormous bribe to be doled out to six councilors, breaking fourteen laws and maaaaaybe a lifetime jail sentence, it sounds worth it in this case!"

Veleth groaned.

"Don't bother. Jarlaxle is his world's problem, and he's going to _stay_ that way." Ravenlight put an arm around Lucia. "He has no idea where I'm from, or why I have a tendency to appear and disappear apparently at random. He is _not_, for any reason, finding out about Nirn, because there is no problem we would ever have severe enough to inflict _him_ on it."

"Oh, but I got a fun one!" Nevano said. "Probably wouldn't work, not just for all those reasons...but it would still be fun."

"Next time I have to deal with him, I might try it." She smirked. "But I probably wouldn't bring you. Dunmer are very different from Drow, and Jarlaxle's canny enough to pick up on that. Wood Elves tend to have varieties, so I just seem...odd. But a Dunmer? He'd catch that too quickly."

"I'll have to help a little bit. Grak is...grumpy at the best of times." Nevano shrugged. "Deadly the rest. Actually, I take that back. Even grumpy is deadly."

"Well, hopefully, it won't be for a while." She looked at Drizzt. "I've been wondering if I shouldn't ask Catti-Brie for help. Her brand of magic would definitely be a good back-up against both Thalmor and vampires...and I don't have to tell you that the baby would be _perfectly_ safe."

As if to prove it, Lucia, Blaise, and Connlach all perked up at the same time.

Every Dunmer did as well. It didn't matter who or what, babies were an exciting thing that absolutely were worthy of celebration.

"From the sounds of that..." Nevano ventured very carefully. "Here or...?"

"She's in his world," Ravenlight clarified, one hand rising to her neckline. "But I have a safe way to bring her through. And she's been here before."

"No I meant..." Nevano struggled a bit. "Damn, I know that superstition isn't true but I still can't break it."

"Oh, you mean born?" Ravenlight laughed. "She's five months old. Don't you remember him talking about how I told him I was having trouble with the Thalmor and couldn't get to visit him for a while, and then he told me she was going to have the baby? And then I showed up two days later?"

"Ah, yes I remember now." Nevano grinned. "Hard for us to ask, since it's considered bad luck to announce or ask."

Drizzt laughed a little. "It's...odd, even in my world," he admitted. "Drow don't often marry outside their own race, and a half-elf child from one of us is sometimes..." He shrugged. "There are those who still...look askance. But for myself..." He couldn't stop the grin.

"Doesn't matter, half or not, still adorable!" Nevusa all but squealed.

"Very," Ravenlight and Lucia said at the same time.

Nevusa looked excited enough to vibrate out of her chair.

Ravenlight and Drizzt exchanged a look. "I'm thinking we should bring her through just for that kind of reaction," Ravenlight said. "I was also wondering if Zak might...be grateful for an open enemy that _isn't_ demons for once. Though it _did_ occur to me that his friendship with Jarlaxle might not make that a little bit...iffy."

"I'm thinking Sheo worshipers would like him." Nevano said. "Distraction there."

"DIVINES, no," Drizzt and Ravenlight said at the same time. "The last thing _either_ world needs is Sheogorath influencing or influenced _by_ Jarlaxle in any way."

"You know, that brings up the thought...is there really anything stopping the daedra from poking around other planes?" Veleth frowned as he considered it.

"The other gods, I think," Ravenlight said. "Azura knows about Lolth, the demon spider goddess the Drow worship; and apparently Kynareth knows Mielikki, the nature goddess Drizzt follows."

"Hmm, two races associated with _dun_ and two spider goddesses..." Nevano said.

"Mephala is...similar to Lolth," Ravenlight said, her lips twisting slightly. "Not completely the same...but there are some decided similarities. And Lolth was _definitely_ getting Mephala to try influencing me during the few weeks I was carrying the Ebony Blade. Every other thought I had ended with something in my head urging me to kill Drizzt."

"She does like her murder...usually she gets her fill with Morag Tong contracts but when those are running thin I notice she ramps up elsewhere." Veleth said, a bit of distaste in his tone. "I wonder if they originate from the same source."

"Maybe." Ravenlight shrugged. "I'm just glad that, right now, she's worried enough about whatever Molag Bal's trying to do to put that on hold."

"Mephala likes to play with mortals for her amusement." Veleth said. "This isn't amusing to her. Plus...I'm starting to suspect more of Molag Bal's involvement beyond that armor. He's trying too hard."

"Remember what we were talking about yesterday? About the Towers?" Ravenlight grimaced. "I bet he wants it for some reason himself." Then her face went white. "And I think I know _why_. With that kind of power, he might be able to break through Martin Septim's seal again."

"Seat himself as the most powerful of the Daedra Princes...a king, if you will." Veleth frowned. "Dagon relied purely on his own strength and failed. Molag Bal...might be thinking ahead. We won't stand a chance because we simply have no idea what or how to defend against it...if we can at all."

"How powerful is a Daedra King over the others? Or Aedra?" Drelasa said. "He's not aiming just above the Daedra Lords, though it _is_ a delicious thought. They are forever squabbling. It would certainly explain the widespread alarm...and the reluctance to admit exactly what is happening."

"It would." Serana paused, pursing her lips. "Meridia is...interested in me. It's something I don't usually talk about, because it's pretty strange. Meridia, having a friendly interest in a vampire? But whenever I rest, I've heard her speaking. Something about gathering war on more than just the earth and that we need to move quickly to head it off in any way we can."

Ravenlight looked over at her, puzzled. "When did Meridia..." She thought. "Oh, that's right, I gave you the Dawnbreaker before we went in against the Volkihar stronghold. Had to have caught her attention: a vampire wielding her sacred blade against others of her own clan."

"A war on more than just the earth..." Drelasa said slowly. "That sounds like...Do you all know what the Wheel is?"

"It doesn't sound familiar," Ravenlight admitted.

"It is...part theoretical history, again, and part religion." Drelasa said. "Let me see if I can be...simple in this. The dreams I got are complicated at best. The Wheel represents the structure of our plane. In the center is Mundus, where we mortals live. The spokes that surround the hub represent, or are thought to represent, the Divines. The spokes are..bones. Bones... Towers I think...are the bones. What helped formed the ground we stand on. Between the spokes, in the chaotic spaces, are the Daedric Princes. The very outside, the rim is...bigger chaos...pressing in...holding it all in together in magic and power...Aetherius! It's supposed to be Aetherius. If Molag Bal tears from his space between the spokes by making himself king...it will destroy the Wheel."

There was a horrified hiss of breath on all sides.

"He will destroy not just the mortal plane...but that of all the Daedra and Aedra as well." Drelasa said.

"That...overbearing, over-prideful _idiot_," Ravenlight spat. "No _wonder_ the others are actually worried about him. They must know what he'll do if he succeeds!"

"We were just discussing the gods jumping to other planes..." Veleth said. "What if he truly intends to utterly destroy this one so he can go to another and take over without having to worry about his own equals scheming against him? Nothing will stop him from...starting over."

"And it will be beyond disastrous for _my_ world as well," Drizzt said grimly. "We've been through a few times when the gods fought among themselves. It never went well for those below them-_any_ of them."

"Because he's probably looking at your world." Veleth said.

"The two worlds are...close," Ravenlight said. "Close enough that the gods can practically come over for a drink and a gossip if they feel like it. It's why Drizzt ended up _here_ in the first place after that wizard's camp blew up; otherwise, there's no telling where he might have landed. There are many, _many_ other worlds; I've done some wandering whenever I feel particularly restless, my pendant is capable of that. Faerun is the easiest to reach, and not just because my pendant has a link there, with Drizzt's. The others are further away; some of them are...guarded, too. I've occasionally been watched coming or going."

"Guardians...guardians but not gods." Veleth said. "Interesting..."

"I..." Ravenlight hesitated. "Don't know if I'd call them 'not gods'. They never seemed to have worshipers: I looked. But they're...powerful. And I think that's why Bal wouldn't head in that way, even if he _did_ destroy this entire plane. He wouldn't even be able to enter some of those others." She glanced at Drizzt. "But the gods of his world aren't united enough to keep off a newcomer, and Bal would throw everything out of balance in less than a week."

"No, he couldn't. Because those guardians are more than gods..." Veleth's eyes darted back and forth quickly as his mind raced. "Ehlnofey...the ones who remained, populated and shaped this world...then sacrificed themselves to keep it stable."

"You delved into that too?" Nevano asked.

"Yes, I...got curious." Veleth admitted. "Reading all those notes. I had to look."

"I only know the barest bit about that," Ravenlight said. "Just enough to...well, keep from getting into trouble whenever I'd wander. But I somehow doubt that the Ehlnofey could help us here."

"I could really go into that but we don't have all night." Veleth said. "But no. Once, maybe, but they have faded. We are all descendants of them, depending on what you believe. Some of their magic remains though but I don't know how to find it or harness it. Still, we are left without guardians without them."

"Which is probably why the Aedra create champions." Ravenlight touched her collarbone. "Literally, in my case. I've known about it for years now, and I think this is the first time I've ever...actually said it out loud: I'm the Daughter of Akatosh. We don't have...guardians. So we have to make do with what we _do_ have."

"Just have this nagging feeling..." Veleth sounded distant. "Nothing I can explain now."

"Hopefully, it will all be clearer in the morning." Ravenlight stood, picking up Connlach; true to form, he'd fallen asleep at the table. "And we'd better all get some rest: by now, the hawks will have all reached their destination, and we'll be needing to head to Whiterun to meet everyone in a few days at least. And then...then it's on to Cyrodiil, and then High Rock again."

The others nodded and stood as well.

* * *

Nevano didn't though. He waited until almost everyone had gone off before heading towards the cellar trap door. He hesitated, twisting his ring on his hand.

Serana drifted up behind him. "Do you...want me to go down there with you?"

"Can you wait for me to come up?" He asked. "I only have a few things to say...the rest of it is mostly Nerevar. This is his show...he just needs my mouth."

She nodded, sitting at the little table beside the wall. "I will. Don't worry; I won't go anywhere."

"Thank you." Before he could talk himself out of this, he quickly and quietly dropped down into the cellar.

* * *

**(So...Nerevar's off to talk to the former Thalmor. This...could be very interesting, once all is said and done! As always, please leave a review. It's very encouraging to me to hear about it when you like the story.)**


	17. Advice of an Ancient King

**Advice of an Ancient King**

Most of the Altmer were asleep; but Gyrmallion was still awake. He'd drifted in and out of a doze for several hours; but sleep was...no longer his friend, and hadn't been for years. He didn't like sleeping long enough to dream. So when the golden-eyed Dunmer entered the cellar, he turned and sat up instantly.

"What is it?" Part of him wanted to be hostile. The rest...knew he couldn't afford it.

"I wanted to talk...well, not just me." Nevano said.

"Not just you?" Gyrmallion frowned in confusion.

Nevano closed his eyes, mentally stepping back and letting Nerevar come forward. It felt...like shrugging off a coat. He could hear and see still but Nerevar held the controls. His voice changed, becoming a bit deeper, his accent changing. Even the way he stood and his eyes changed.

"Not just him." Nerevar said.

Gyrmallion's eyes widened, and he half-rose, before stopping and looking around. The others...were still asleep. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming himself down. He wasn't going to wake them. Once he had control of his shock, he turned back to the strange Dunmer. "Who are you?"

"I _was_ king of Resdayn, Hortator of the Chimeri people. Long ago." Nerevar said. "Such titles matter little, ages later."

"Chimeri..." Gyrmallion breathed, his mind working fast. The Summerset Isles were, even at their best, not overly concerned with the rest of the world...but even they'd noticed when the reincarnation of an ancient Elven king had shown up in Morrowind. Certainly what had happened there had changed fates across the world. "You're Nerevar. And he-the Nerevarine."

"As Azura promised and the Velothi people prophesied." Nerevar inclined his head ever so slightly.

"Prophecies..." He smiled bitterly. "I wish there'd been a prophecy about the rise of the Dominion. Maybe then we'd have known how to stop them before...before hell broke out and they rose to power."

"Prophecy is merely born when an event is over without an end." Nerevar said. "This event is not over, has not reached its end...nor has it yet seen its hero. Without the hero, there will be no event."

"Makes sense." Gyrmallion leaned against the altar behind him, glancing up again at the shrine of Talos. It was odd, he mused, how little the shrine bothered him. "What did you want to speak of?"

"Your role in the event."

He went still. "And what...would that role be?"

"When I am not...in control, I guess you could say, I can still hear and see what Nevano hears and sees, if I choose so." Nerevar said. "I was aware when you were speaking earlier. It piqued my interest."

"Oh." Gyrmallion sighed. "I...guess you should know what I did. I was hoping..." He looked to the side for a moment. "The Blades," he said at last. "I led the offensive against the Blades, in the early days of the war...and before it broke out. I'm...good with tactics; information-gathering and the like. It was...we were a good match."

"It was almost...fun, at first. They were good, I and my men were good; cat-and-mouse for the first few months. I knew it was serious, that my superiors wanted them out of the way, but I...in truth, I respected a number of them. I wasn't in any hurry to...end it." He stopped, looking down. "Then I got word of...there was a small town in Elsweyr, called Glasryn; Khajiit, and Altmer. Many of my men had family there." He took a deep breath. "_I_ had family there. My wife...and two young sons. They said it was the Blades."

His face contorted with grief. "No one survived. I found...their bodies. My sons… twins… they weren't even ten years old. My wife...I hadn't known until then she'd been with child." It was a moment before he could continue. "I won't say I went mad. But I took it all, that pain, that grief, that rage, and I...channeled it. The Blades fell to us in the next two months. And I helped hunt down the survivors. It was almost...all I had at the time. I wanted them gone. I wanted every trace of them wiped from the earth." He stopped for a moment, his hands clenching and relaxing. "Then we tracked the last of them to Skyrim. The last two. They hid themselves... _perfectly_. We knew there were there, somewhere. But we couldn't tell where."

Nerevar listened quietly, ignoring Nevano's comments in the background, his face perfectly neutral.

"Then the dragons came back. That was..." He shook his head. "We knew they could be killed. News came shortly after the destruction of Helgen that another dragon had been killed outside of Whiterun. News of the 'Dragonborn' was flying across Skyrim. I...wasn't paying attention." He shrugged, reaching up to touch the side of his face, where a faint scar ran from just under the corner of his left eye back toward his ear. "Maybe I should have been."

"I saw her right away in the Embassy." He snorted with laughter. "Can't believe I didn't...recognize her before now. She stood out: nervous and determined all at the same time, looking around with far more interest than anyone else...Elenwen didn't notice. I _could_ have pointed it out, but...I actually thought she was just a thief. And Elenwen and I did not particularly get along: I was only at the Embassy because she was trying to find the last of the Blades as well. I thought it would serve her right if this nimble little creature managed to loot the place bare. So I didn't say anything when she slipped off with Malborn. At least...not until one of the guards came gasping in to say that she was tearing the place apart and heading for the second building. That's when I realized she wasn't just a thief, and I went after her with the rest."

Gyrmallion sighed, his eyes growing distant. "I would have...approached it differently. By the time I got there, those heavy-handed idiots of Elenwen's had dragged Malborn in as a hostage. I don't know if any of them had noticed the _arrows_ in the bodies of their fellows, or realized they were dealing with a _Bosmer_. Obviously, their attempt to make her surrender ended the way I could have told them it would: a single shot for each of them, right in the eye. And when I came in, she dealt with me the same way. I'm more than lucky: a fraction of an inch over, and I'd have been just as dead as the rest. She still cut my face-and the arrow actually pinned me to the wall by my helmet. Before I could do anything else, she'd jumped down a trapdoor that led to a troll cave beneath the Embassy and was gone."

Nerevar picked up a toy that someone, most likely Connlach, had left in the cellar. He gave it a moment to see if the story was finished

Gyrmallion pressed his lips together. "We'd...discovered where one of the last Blades was: an archivist, Esbern. Elenwen thought he might know something about the dragons. I...just wanted him to know this was justice for my family. So I was in the team that went to Riften to retrieve him." He rolled his eyes. "Of course she was there, too. That time, though, I let Elenwen's men distract her, and went past her to catch up with the old man. I had my sword at his throat...and I told him it was for my family, for Glasryn. He was terrified-but puzzled. He actually said, 'Where?'"

He took a deep breath. "I couldn't-believe what I'd heard, what I was seeing. I shook him, shouted. Named the town, named the day it fell. He told me he didn't know what I was talking about. Then I heard a yell like-like nothing I'd ever heard before, turned, and took a two-handed stroke to the ribs. She'd finished with the others and come back for him, saw me standing there with my blade out, and...reacted. Understandably. She didn't stop to finish me. Of course, as wide as she'd gashed me open, she probably didn't think she'd have to. She grabbed him and ran off, leaving me lying there." He rubbed his face. "Fortunately for me, I'd come with a few of _my_ men-and I'd seen what that woman could do at the Embassy. I'd given them strict orders _not_ to engage if they saw her-and in fact, to get out of the way, and avoid being seen. It saved their lives: they were probably the only ones who got out of the Ratways that day. They found me and got me to safety. But I'd been so severely injured that I couldn't stay in Skyrim; they took me back home, to Summerset. While I was recovering...I started digging into their archives. Looking for orders." He swallowed.

"I found them. The Blades hadn't destroyed my hometown. The _Aldmeri Dominion_ had."

Though Nerevar stayed respectfully quiet, Nevano could feel a bit of his emotions. Plenty of understanding, exasperation and...empathy. If there was anyone out there who could empathize with betrayal, it would be Nerevar. However, there was a firmness there. Nerevar was absorbing everything that was being said but it wasn't going to change what he had to say. If anything, it was confirming what he was going to say. What that was exactly, Nevano didn't know. However...he knew Nerevar well enough he could guess and, if the way Moon-and-Star was warming on finger, he was fairly confident he was right.

_'Tighten your belt, Thalmor.'_ he thought to himself within the recesses of his own mind. _'Nerevar just might crack your mind in half with some hard truth.'_ It was the old general's maddening specialty.

"I knew then," Gyrmallion said after a few more moments of silence, "that we'd...more than made a mistake, at the start. I'd made the biggest mistake of my life, or of anyone's. We shouldn't have joined the Dominion in the first place; we should have fled the Isles; joined up with the Empire. The result might have been the same, but it wouldn't have been because... I found other orders; more suspicious deaths. My house, my family; whittled down over the years. I hadn't known of some of them. I knew my father had died 'from his wounds', less than a year after we'd joined the Dominion. I'd suspected the truth, but hadn't...known for sure. I knew Glaielindil had fallen in battle; I hadn't known his armor had been deliberately tampered with beforehand. Cousins, aunts, uncles...one after another, one death at a time, over the years. We'd joined them to protect the family, but we weren't...what they wanted. Fanatics. Willing to do _anything_ for the Dominion, for the cause. So we were... rooted out."

"You looked and saw the depth of betrayal." Nerevar said.

"Yes. And the sea itself is not so...deep, or cruel."

"The Aldmeri Dominion..." Nerevar said. "They formed far after my death. What I know of them is that all three had the same goal; to establish elven rule. Elves as the superior race, over man and beast races. Is that correct? Or should I say...is that correct to what is presented on paper."

"It's certainly what they talked about most," Gyrmallion said dryly. "To the point I became adept at falling asleep with my eyes open during their speeches."

"It is the case in most campaigns. Far better to bolster your men's resolve with shouts of pride and grandeur than it is to convince them to betray a once ally." Nerevar mused. "Now...as much as I appreciate you telling me your story, I have to drop this on you: no one will care. As Nevano has discovered, rather painfully I might add, no one cares for either the villain or the hero's story. Your actions have already painted a story and that is what they focus on. The rest...well, the butcher does not ask the cow how his day is going while slaughtering it. Nor does the cow care if they butcher is at all comfortable doing his job. You began your campaign seeking to protect your family. You accepted the cost in blood...other's blood. Problem is, it will never be an equal weight. As you discovered, that blood was not enough. Not nearly."

Nerevar ran a finger over Moon-and-Star, the ring warming again.

"You have seen truth now. The truth...nearly killed you." Nerevar said. "Truth does that, sometimes. It is not merciful. It cares little for you. It only cares that it is right. You have said that there are others who think like you. Those who hate the Thalmor as much as you." Nerevar spread his hands. "Yet...they are still in those ranks. As were you. Being behind enemy lines might seem heroic and doing good...but in the eyes of the rest of the world, it makes no difference. You might even be seen as a coward. For all your claims otherwise...blood is still being shed. I do believe you wish to make a difference, for there is still pride in what you are, despite everything. That is to be admired and venerated. You should never lose that pride. To the point where I believe you should feel it is worth fighting for."

Nerevar set the toy on a table and turned to fix Gyrmallion with the golden-eyed stare of a king. Moon-and-Star flashed as if in full sunlight. "You have been presented with many paths. Your actions from here on out will determine how the world sees you for the rest of time. Your faction is splintering yet no one has yet risen up to take control of the ones who are through paying for their safety in blood. You were saved from vampires by the Dragon Mother. You have been given this chance in the most extraordinary way. You have been given the chance to redeem your race.

"Call it cowardly that I remained in their ranks; call it practical. It's the same thing." Gyrmallion met the gold-eyed stare. "There's only one way to leave the Thalmor. They make sure of that. Those who defect are hunted down. Those who try to retire meet with 'accidents' not long after. And I...was a coward."

He looked over at the shrine again. "But...you're right. I'm out now. This _is_ a chance. And one I would have never imagined." He stood and reached out, lightly brushing his fingers across the base of the Talos shrine. "The paths ahead are murky. I barely know which way to turn. But...I know this. The Dominion _must_ be stopped. And whatever I can offer to that end...I will give."

"If the paths are murky, you must forge new ones." Nerevar said. "_Someone_ must stop them...who will be the first to step up, gather his people and lead them? Defecting and retiring are half measures. There can be no half measures in this."

Nerevar looked at the Talos shrine. "Once, the citizens of Summerset Isles told a group of their own they could not worship their gods. They must conform or be destroyed. They stood and left. Much, much later in history, that same group, now changed and called Dunmer, stood up and ousted the Thalmor from their lands. One thing the Velothi did when they arrived to their new home was throw their weapons down. Will you, too, throw your weapon down once you have completed your goal? The world will watch you. What you do will ring through hundreds of generations. Remember that all those who sought to overpower with blood without satisfaction were thrown down and destroyed. My own brothers learned this the hard way. So did your own general when he was strung up on White-Gold."

"I grow weary. This is not my body and sharing takes much of my energy." Nerevar said. "Undoubtedly Nevano will have something to say. I doubt it will be polite but I believe you should hear it without reproach. Hear it, know it. For it is what you should strive to change."

"I will listen." Gyrmallion sank back, his expression thoughtful. "Thank you. You've given me much to think on."

Nevano's body swayed as Nerevar stepped back, allowing him to step back in. It was always strange when he came back in. He didn't..feel the same. Like wearing someone else's clothes. It was...disquieting but he was at least used to Nerevar

The Altmer, gazing into the distance, did not truly appear to notice.

"Ugh..." Nevano staggered again. Nerevar had borrowed energy for his long speech. "I hope you actually heard him. That's the most he's ever said."

"I did. And I listened." Gyrmallion glanced at Nevano, but did not move to assist him, likely guessing that it wouldn't be a welcome move. "I don't know yet what to do...but it's something I am definitely going to be thinking on in the next few days."

"Good." He said, though not all that kindly. "Nerevar seems to think you can be some kind of hero. Ravenlight thinks that anyone can change. Personally...I think you're scum. You lost your family and for that I'm sorry. But it gave you no right to take away mine. I won't ever forget what happened to Chorrol. I will _never_ forget what happened there. You want to be separate from that slaughter? You better do something amazing." Nevano headed back to the trap door. "You...are more than lucky Ravenlight has a better heart than I do."

"I wasn't at Chorrol. But I'll keep that in mind."

"As Nerevar said...no one cares about details." Nevano shrugged as he reached the ladder. "You were part of the beast. Doesn't matter if you were at the ass or the head. At this point, even the ticks on it are suspect." He climbed up. "To be different, you got to be _different._"


	18. Boethiah's Boon

**Boethiah's Boon**

The night passed quietly. The morning...opened with a scream from the upstairs bedroom. Every Dunmer in the house was up with weapons before they were even fully awake. Serana was up the stairs before anyone else. She found Ravenlight sitting up in bed, panting and staring at nothing, while Drizzt held her close.

"It's all right," he soothed, stroking her hair. "We're safe. You're okay. You're okay." He waited until she blinked, her eyes focusing, before letting her go. "Who was it this time?"

"Vaermina. For sure." Ravenlight let out a long sigh and flopped back on the pillow, dragging a hand down her face. "Ugh. Didn't make it any easier."

Hearing the voices _not_ sound like there was a major threat, there was a collapse of Dunmer as they fully started to wake up.

"The nightmares seem to be getting worse," Drizzt noted. "If this continues, I'm going to find Erandur. You don't need to be dreading sleep every night while we're trying to hold this off."

Serana, seeing that it was under control, backed away and went back downstairs.

* * *

Nevano had found most of his clothes and was waiting for her, though looking a bit groggy still. Nerevar had taken more than a little bit of energy for his speech. "She okay?"

"I think so. Drizzt is with her, and she's not crying this time." Serana sighed. "Just Vaermina again. Like usual."

"She seems _so_ concerned about her impending demise I see..." Nevano said with a frown.

"Maybe some of them don't care." Serana sighed and sat down next to him. "Or maybe they think they can escape the collapse, too."

"Boethiah and Vaermina hate each other, so I wonder if there's anything Veleth can help with. Boethiah adores him as much as he drives her to insanity." Nevano said. "He might be able to ask Boethiah to tell her to buzz off for a bit. At least long enough you can find a more permanent cure."

"Hmm...that's not something I'd considered." Serana leaned against him. "It would certainly be helpful. There are times when Ravenlight can't sleep without nightmares for nearly a week; she usually turns to Mara, but it doesn't always work."

"You know, for all the talk of Daedra and Aedra, I don't really hear much of them crossing paths." Nevano said. "There are a few instances but for the most part, they avoid each other it seems like. Maybe it takes a Daedra to fight a Daedra?"

"Well...according to what I've heard of the end of the Oblivion Crisis, it _did_ take an Aedra to fight off a Daedra. Maybe they normally don't battle each other because it would destabilize the Wheel?" Serana sighed. "But I think it's a good idea, to have Boethiah help. We need Ravenlight at her best, and she can't be there if she's dealing with nightmares every time she tries to sleep."

"True about the Oblivion Crisis but it took a mortal channeling it so I'm not sure how much that counts." Nevano said. "Vaermina's other enemies are Hermaeus Mora, which is _out,_ and Peryite. Peryite, besides being nasty, is...how to put this nicely? The laughing stock of the Daedra Lords. He took the form of a dragon purely to make himself look better, according to Azura. Not a lot of help. Only reason Vaermina can't stand him is because he's more organized than she is."

"Hermaeus Mora is _definitely_ out," Serana agreed with a shudder. "I went with her to Solstheim, while she was dealing with Miraak, and I got to...see what he does to the people he uses. He's worse than Vaermina, in most regards."

"He's one of those I wonder how he has _any_ followers." Nevano said, wrinkling his nose.

"A combination of desire for power and knowledge, I guess." Serana shrugged.

"In other words, no one still in their right mind." Nevano tapped his fingers. "Yeah, Boethiah is the best bet. He might have to pay a price of some sort."

"Shall we go ask him?" She glanced at him. "I somehow doubt anyone is still asleep after that."

"Twins maybe. Veleth, oh no. He barely sleeps as is." Nevano looked up as Veleth walked in. "Speak of the demon..."

"Oh. You're up." Serana hesitated. "Um, there's...something I'd like to ask you. For Ravenlight."

"Sure." Veleth glanced at the stairs. "Have to do with the screaming earlier?"

Serana nodded. "I...don't know all the details, but a few years ago, Ravenlight helped an ex-priest of Vaermina destroy her artifact, the Skull of Corruption. Ever since, Vaermina's...well, held a grudge." She nodded toward the upper room. "It can get really bad. Ravenlight usually turns to Mara, but...it isn't always a sure thing."

"Mara can be overwhelmed by this one." Veleth sighed. "Unlike someone else..."

"So...maybe?" Serana looked both nervous and hopeful. "I know Ravenlight won't ask. But...she really needs to be at her best, especially if things are...as bad as we suspect."

"I will ask." Veleth nodded and started for the door. "Just...keep the kids inside for a bit. And don't worry about what noises you hear."

"I-I will."

Nevano smiled at her. "He'll be okay. I didn't call him Bull _only_ because he's big and stubborn."

Serana nodded. "All right. We'd...better go make sure Blaise and Lucia don't try to go out and investigate; Connlach's probably gone to Ravenlight already. He gets nightmares, too."

Nevano nodded. "If Boethiah gets huffy at that request it might be more than a little noisy."

"In that case, we'd better go warn the others not to go outside until Veleth comes back in. Including Drizzt and Ravenlight, because you know they will." Serana stood. "Come on. I'll handle those I know; you tell your friends and family."

Nevano nodded and trotted off, confident that his side would take it far easier than Ravenlight.

* * *

True to word, there _were_ noises. It started off quiet enough, shuffling and snorting noises like something was sniffing in the woods. Then it started to grow. The growl started small, as if Guenhwyvar had found a rat in the cellar; but then it got loud enough to nearly rattle the walls. Even the twins woke back up and couldn't go back to sleep.

Ravenlight and Drizzt both started to rise, Connlach clutching wide-eyed at his mother. "What's that?" he quavered.

"I don't know," Ravenlight answered, glancing at Drizzt. "Do you think..."

Nevano looked out a window but couldn't see much. "He's nowhere near the house and we still heard that. Vith."

"This is...bad, isn't it?" Serana asked.

"Did he ever tell you _how_ he got the Ebony Mail?" Nevano asked.

"I never asked." Serana turned to see Drizzt coming down the stairs, still shirtless, but his blades in his hands. "Um-it's Veleth. He's...talking with Boethiah?"

The Drow stopped in his tracks and stared at her. "Veleth. Talking with Boethiah." He gestured with one scimitar as another snarl shook the walls. "_That?_"

Nevano didn't look away from the window but gestured at a chair. "None of it will come after us. They are after him, not us...and Boethiah loves to fight with him. See, she had been trying to get him to answer her for months. I noticed something was up but he refused to say. It wasn't until we went to Vvardenfell that Boethiah lost all patience. I'm honestly surprised it took her that long but the opportunity to punish him was too perfect. See, we had shipwrecked on the way to Vvardenfell. He had no armor, no weapons and was barefoot. Boethiah thought that the perfect time to drop him into what's called the Tournament of Ten Bloods."

"Tournament of Ten Bloods." Drizzt's voice was still extremely flat. He glanced past Nevano and shrugged slightly, before turning his gaze back on the Dunmer.

"So called because you fight a member of each of the races on Tamriel." Nevano looked back at them. "A fight to the death. All rather rabid followers. Boethiah showed how mad she was at him by letting all of them loose at once and saying that whoever killed _him_ would earn her favor. He was _so_ mad when he told me that bit. That's also where he got his sword. He obviously won but that's not all that happened. Boethiah herself challenged him. Or rather, he got stubborn and mouthy and she decided to prove a point. She not only didn't slice him in half on the first strike but he finally figured out how to use that little 'rage monster', as he calls it, and damn near landed his own strike on her. Normally if someone attacks a Daedra Lord, there's nothing left but a pile of cinders. In this case...it amused her. She didn't give up any boots though and his feet were sliced to ribbons from the volcanic rock, so there _was_ still some malice in there." Nevano looked back out the window. "She likes to challenge him every now and then. Make sure he's still the strongest of her followers, though he's not a typical follower. No slavering or whatever other followers do. Yet it works for her."

"So...whatever it is is hunting him." Drizzt slowly sheathed his blades. "And it's not coming after the house?"

"Less hunting, more sparring?" Nevano shrugged. "No, it won't come here. Boethiah doesn't want _that_ lecture from Azura on my behalf. Besides, I think a good portion of the noise is to test _us_. Boethiah values strength. If we stay strong, she'll acknowledge that."

"Azura, Meridia, and half the Aedra." Ravenlight stood at the top of the stairs, Connlach still clinging to her. "Though, frankly, that sounds less like Boethiah and more like Hircine. I suppose a more pertinent question should be, how torn up should we expect him to be after that?"

"I honestly don't think he's even on this plane. I think the noises we are hearing is a bunch of daedra sparring with each other just out of sight in the swamp." Nevano said. "I think the roaring is a dremora. As for Veleth...depends. He came back from the tournament slightly cut up but mostly exhausted. His feet were the worst off. If Boethiah thinks this is less amusing and more work, he might come back looking like Odahviing's chew toy."

"Well," an unexpected voice said from behind Nevano, "it's probably a good thing they decided to string _me_ up on those poles, too. I've always found that, no matter how good a Restoration mage is, when someone's been truly torn up, it helps to have a surgeon on hand."

Nevano spun around, one hand to Trueflame, at the unexpected new voice.

Elealda stood there, fully dressed and arms folded, her head cocked as she listened to the noise. Gyrmallion was behind her, holding a sheathed blade in one hand. "Oh, put that away," she said to Nevano. "One scream could have been someone waking up from a nightmare-heaven knows I've heard that often enough. _This_, on the other hand...we figured it would be wise to come up and see what on earth that was, especially since you can hear it clearly even down in the cellar."

"Coming up behind someone who doesn't really know you might cause a response." He slid Trueflame fully back in its sheath but not before it gave a moody flicker. "It's mostly noise. Boethiah does like a show."

"I'll go tell the others this isn't an attack." Gyrmallion glanced past Nevano and bowed slightly to Drizzt, then turned and went back to the cellar.

"The noise is worse than it should be." Drelasa came in, looking slightly annoyed, though that could be to hide worry. "Though that could be they are vying for a rather recently released artifact of Boethiah's. No one has officially claimed it yet so until someone does, they will squabble with each other like rabid dogs."

Ravenlight sighed. "_Another_ new Daedric artifact? Delightful." She came down the stairs, still carrying Connlach. "Well. This appears to have wakened everyone faster than I wanted...so we might as well get ready. I don't know how soon word will come back that the jarls have mobilized."

"Not a new one, my sweet child." Drelasa said. "No fear of this causing trouble. In fact, it's a boon to whoever wields it. It is rumored to only carry Boethiah's power, not something she made herself. In fact, it is rumored that Goldbrand was made by dragons. It was last known to be wielded by a dremora who served General Naarifin. He met with a...rather unfortunate end, as did the dremora. Goldbrand remains unclaimed since then. But yes, we shall get ready. Breakfast shall be a fast one then."

Serana looked uncomfortable. "I...wonder if that was her...price," she whispered to Nevano. "That Veleth...claim this sword before she would help."

He carefully took her hand and gave it a small comforting squeeze. "If that's the case, he'll do it. And he'll probably throw it at her and call her something not so pleasant. Then she'll get mad and they'll fight for a bit before she laughs and drops his ungrateful hide back into the mortal world."

She smiled a little bit back at him. "I hope so."

"I told you, he likes the lot of you." Nevano smiled. "When it comes to those he likes, he will stubbornly go to the ends of the earth, grumbling and snorting like an angry bull the whole way." Another roar shook the house. Nevano glared out the window. "Just _what_ daedra does Boethiah have in her pens out there?"

Ravenlight suddenly bolted up. "_That's_ not a daedra. Damn it all, I've got to get into my armor now!"

"Hold." Drelasa said.

Nevano raised an eyebrow at her.

"Boethiah keeps many in her arena, to fight at her amusement." Drelasa said. "Remember the titan you fought? Boethiah has her own breed. I dare say she also has ogrims, daedroth and other very loud, very difficult to kill daedra. It is not after you...and if Molag Bal interrupts Boethiah's ritual _now_, well, her followers now have a real target to prove their worth. Boethiah and Molag Bal do not get along either."

"I'm going to get armored anyway." Ravenlight glared at the door, putting a hand to her breastbone. "That..._feels_ close. Close enough that I'm reacting to it."

The wind picked up suddenly and the sky streaked black and red for a moment before settling down. The horrible roaring suddenly cut off with a loud yelp and the noises quieted down.

Ravenlight stopped on the stairs, listening intently.

"If he slapped a titan across the face, I will use my own drakes to keep the docks _silent_ for a week." Nevano said.

"If he slapped a titan across the face and comes out whole for it, you'll just need to talk about it to keep the docks silent," Drizzt muttered. "Or just tell a bard."

"Pirates stay quieter when they are too drunk to get out the first two letters of their name." Nevano grinned. "Plus all the tavern wenches enjoy the easy night of simply picking a portion of the gold in their pockets without having to really work much. The bard is still a brilliant idea. I can send them to Rootspire! Scare every noble and councilor into not being obnoxious fetchers for a few days!"

"And the _best_ part is, you just have to tell them a few details. They'll mess the rest up entirely on their own." Drizzt sounded...slightly bitter about that.

"Still haven't forgiven Talsgar for that, have you?" Ravenlight was obviously trying not to laugh.

"Oh that'll make him _furious_." Nevano smiled happily. "I just might do it even if he didn't slap a titan. And apparently I'm going to have to make a trip to a few taverns to hear this story for myself."

"Mikael doesn't sing it," Ravenlight commented idly. "Ever."

"Now I'm _really_ curious." Nevano said and glanced out the window. "Oh, and half chew toy."

Elealda moved forward a little, to be able to see when he came in. Veleth staggered in, boots missing and his shirt shredded and stained with blood. A massive gash went from his shoulder to his hip. He looked mildly irritated and was shaking a hand out.

"Ah. Yes, I do think it's a good thing we've got a surgeon on hand." Ravenlight stared. "Anything you're going to need, Elealda?"

"Needle and thread. And probably something to clean the wound, as well." The Altmer started forward, but glanced over at Drelasa. "If you don't mind. I wasn't _truly_ conscious yesterday, but I do remember a healer being down there to work on us."

Drelasa waved a spoon. "He will behave. If he wants breakfast he will sit still for you."

Ravenlight had dashed upstairs, and now returned with a small box. "Sewing silks, mostly; but they'll work. And the needles are strong. I'll get some hot water and some straight wine to wash that gash with. Any place you'll need to work on it?"

"Thank you, these will be fine. And...the bench will do perfectly." She strode over to him briskly. "All right, sit down. I need to stitch that up."

Veleth backed up a step, instantly wary of the needle. "It's not that deep. It'll be fine." He yelped and ducked as a spoon flashed by his head.

"You managed to duck this but not what caused that?" Drelasa brandished another stirring spoon. "If you are going to regularly challenge a Daedra Lord, then you better learn to move faster. Being stabbed with a needle a hundred times might be a good reminder for next time.

"Sit," Elealda ordered. "Straight healing would make sure you lived, but not as well as getting your bits all stuck back in the right place first. One of the things we all have to learn first. I can't promise there won't be a scar, but I _can_ make sure it doesn't get infected or half-cripple you later."

Veleth glanced down at all the other scars that liberally decorated his torso and raised an eyebrow. He didn't offer up much more resistance but was still a bit reluctant as he sat.

"So...was that a titan out there?" Nevano asked. "You said noises but it was a riot out there."

Ravenlight reappeared with a pot of lightly steaming water and a bottle of alto wine, as well as a clean cloth. Elealda thanked her, then soaked the cloth, wrung it out, and started washing the massive wound. Veleth winced a bit but a lifetime of being scolded by a frightening mother held him still. "Yes but it wasn't making most of the noise. That would be the ogrim beating the snot out of three dremora."

"Oh, and, Ravenlight..." Veleth held out what looked like a shard of raw ebony with a red brand glowing hotly in its center. "Boethiah didn't promise a permanent end but if Vaermina steps in while we're stopping Molag Bal again, call out to Boethiah while holding this."

Ravenlight hesitated, then reached out and took it. "That...will be helpful. My thanks."

Elealda straightened from washing and examining the wound. "It's ragged; but I can get it stitched properly. Hold still while I'm doing this; I promise, twitching away from the needle really only makes it hurt worse." She took the needle Ravenlight handed her and threaded it with a length of thin white silk, before crouching down, pinching the base of the wound together, and sliding the needle through it.

"She made noises that said to me that if Molag Bal was utterly humiliated, she might continue to intervene for you." Veleth winced badly but pride kept him from flinching away.

"Well...I'll see what I can do." Ravenlight's mouth twisted to the side. "I, frankly, am just willing to settle for stopping him...though I suppose knocking him down a peg or five wouldn't be a bad thing, either."

Elealda continued up the wound, making small, careful stitches, and making sure the muscle beneath the torn skin was being joined correctly each time. Veleth twitched every time the needle penetrated his skin.

Nevano watched as the wound slowly closed. "So...what did you manage to not duck? Usually you get flanked. I rarely see you unable to protect your front."

"Do you know how fast a Daedra Lord can move?" Veleth huffed. "Especially in their own home. It's fast."

"For what it's worth," Eleadra said, glancing at his face, "you're doing much better than those I usually mend. Half the time, I need to paralyze them, or else have someone _sit_ on them to hold them still enough to let me stitch them up, especially with a wound as large as this one."

"I can guarantee they didn't grow up with a healer who doubled as a master of destruction spells..." Veleth muttered.

"Hm. That's a route neither one of us thought to take." She straightened. "Don't go anywhere," she warned. "I'm not finished; I just need more thread."

"There's a thought..." Nevano tapped his fingers. "Hey, 'Lasa, which did you learn first? Destruction or healing?"

"Destruction." Drelasa answered. "So I could set the family rose garden on fire when they pushed me too far. I picked up healing the first time my husband limped home and tried to tell me it was nothing. He gave me _plenty_ of practice."

"I never thought of that," Elealda murmured. "It might have helped. I just pestered my parents to let me apprentice under the priests of Arkay after my brother joined the Legion as a surgeon. Of course, by the time _I'd_ graduated from that, well..."

"All you need, my dear, is to learn a lightning or fire spell." Drelasa said. "A swift shock or burn usually sets them straight. Or, if you prefer, a swift knock in the head with a spoon. My husband and son would handle the shocks but ran if I picked up a spoon. _This one_ I've had to shock a few times." She pointed at Nevano. "I once froze his feet to the ground. Worked like a charm."

"Hm." She glanced over her shoulder. "And that won't be all that difficult, either...I'll have to remember that."

"You have a brother in the Legion?" Ravenlight looked at her curiously. "If I may ask...what's his name?"

"Mm? Oh-it's Guirell." She drew out another stitch. "Why?"

Ravenlight smiled. "I met him a few times before. He actually mended my right hand after I put a spike through it, touching a trapped stone in a barrow."

Veleth still winced at the sight of the needle. Fortunately for him, it wasn't too much longer before she tied off the last stitch and straightened. Her hand shimmered golden for a moment, and she ran a finger along the length of the stitched injury. "There. It won't be completely healed for a day or two; but that will make it heal more quickly, keep infection out, _and_ keep you from breaking stitches and opening it again when you decide you're still going to go out and fight despite the advice of everyone around you."

"That last bit is almost assured." Nevano supplied helpfully.

Veleth tried to argue but really couldn't. It _was_ damn near assured. He couldn't help himself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Elealda said, before glancing at Nevano. "Note I said 'when,' and not 'if' there. And you're probably exactly the same." She turned to Ravenlight. "Could you show me where to wash up afterward?"

"As long as Drelasa is standing right over there, I can't deny that." Nevano said. In response to Nevano being snarky, the spoon that previously narrowly missed Veleth, rose and smacked Nevano in the back of the head.

Ravenlight held back a snicker, beckoning to Elealda. "Over this way."

Veleth, for his part, went to get clothes that weren't covered in blood.

"Oh, wait, Bull!" Nevano stopped him. "That yelp earlier. What was that?"

"Me telling the damned titan to shut up." Veleth shrugged. "It was laughing at the dremora getting destroyed by the ogrim. Didn't want to listen to it so soon."

Nevano grinned in a way that made Veleth wonder if he had just committed a great mistake.

"You actually hit it, then?" Drizzt asked mildly. Ravenlight, listening in, wondered if he was planning on giving Talsgar something to sing that would convince him to finally quit renewing 'The Bard's Beatdown' in every other inn he went to.

"Punched it in the eye..." Veleth said slowly, wondering if he should have tried to lie.

"I'm impressed all you got from that was a sore hand." Drizzt sounded as though he was merely commenting on it. Ravenlight had to hold back another guffaw.

"Eyes are the squishy spots on just about everything." Veleth said quickly. "What are you planning?"

"Not really _planning_ anything," the Drow answered. "It's just...impressive, that's all."

"Not really. None of them were interested in fighting with me just yet. Wouldn't get them the attention they wanted." Veleth hadn't dropped the suspicious look.

Ravenlight doubted that would make the slightest bit of difference, once Talsgar heard that the reluctant champion of Boethiah had punched a corrupted dragon in the eye. Especially if he then heard what a 'titan' was like. And she knew that, even if Drizzt didn't _tell_ the bard about the incident...he'd certainly point him out for Nevano to tell. And Nevano would _more_ than happily supply the bard with enough fodder to keep him happy for a few years.

She considered her intent to bring Catti-Brie though, and couldn't blame him. He would likely do _anything_ to get the bards across Skyrim to quit singing about how he defended a woman's honor and was rewarded with...well, the _song_ ended with an impressive kiss, though there were plenty of implications that suggested there had been more than a kiss!

Veleth, still suspicious enough to remind them of a growling cat, made his escape; but Nevano was still grinning. If Drizzt dropped enough hints, Nevano had enough story material, both real and not, that could possibly make Skyrim forget that song ever existed.

* * *

Despite the exciting start, the morning was fairly calm. Drelasa had breakfast finished quickly, and Blaise and Lucia, once they were convinced that whatever had caused the noise was no longer outside, went out for their chores. The various boys and men went out to train; Ravenlight was pretty sure that once Drizzt started on his routines, he'd have some sparring partners in short order, but couldn't see that it would be a bad idea. She and Drelasa went into the alchemy tower, needing to make as many healing potions and disease curatives as they could.

The Altmer were, by and large, not yet coming up from the cellar. Gyrmallion wasn't the only one who'd been tortured to admit where they had learned the truth of the ruin. However, the others did not have many visible marks left from their sessions with the Mute, which meant that Ravenlight hadn't known to offer them any healing. Still aching, and in some cases, still weak, they were content to remain below and rest, recovering from their ordeal.

Nevusa had gone outside with the boys, though she was continuing to experiment with her shapeshifting spell, rather than sparring. It was getting easier, especially now that she had an unwilling test subject in Veleth, who was grounded from sparring since how half his torso had just been sewed back together. It was possible, however, that she was being distracted by Drizzt, who, as was his habit, had taken off his shirt to practice. He twisted and spun through his routines, chiseled torso rippling; apparently oblivious to the chilly nip of a Skyrim morning.

Veleth growled at her. If she got distracted and turned him into something that was less than ideal...well, he might kick her into the water anyway, considering the red stain that was creeping up her neck and ears.

"Pretty," Elealda commented, watching idly. The surgeon was the exception to the Altmer staying in the cellar; she'd been hovering by the alchemy tower before something had gone wrong and produced an impressive plume of foul-smelling green smoke. Drelasa and Ravenlight had simply yanked open the windows and moved to the downstairs tower; Elealda had deemed it prudent to wait outside. She was seated on a bench beside the door, enjoying the gentler Skyrim sunlight. She watched, apparently unaffected, as Drizzt began sparring with the twins...who had also shed their tops. "I wonder where he trained," she mused. "That's not a fighting style I'm familiar with."

Nevano, the only one to keep his clothes on purely out of vanity to keep his scarred back hidden, was letting the younger boys take turns shooting Bonebiter at a rock face. Blaise had the strength to get the bow to do a bit of damage but it wasn't answering him as strongly. Connlach, on the other hand...Nevano was glad it was rock they were aiming at. The bow couldn't seem to make up its mind if it wanted to destroy a boulder or barely let the arrow fly.

The windows opened abruptly on the first floor of the alchemy tower, this time letting out a stream of _brownish_ smoke. A few moments later, Ravenlight and Drelasa both came outside, coughing and fanning the air.

"If you get white smoke to come out next, you might start hailing some of those knight lodges in Cyrodiil." Nevano said, taking a step away from the kids in case they decided to lob anything at him, not wanting it to hit them. "How did you get it to turn brown?"

"Certain types of powdered seashell, it turns out," Ravenlight said, pausing for a moment to cough, "do not mix well with nirnroot. Divines, that smells nasty."

She glanced toward the sound of clashing blades, noticed their state of undress, and then glanced over at Nevusa. "Will you boys put your clothes back on, there is a young woman here who is not immune to that."

"What is it with males and the inability to stay dressed..." Drelasa muttered between coughs.

Nevusa yelped at being called out, the spell she had been slowly growing between her fingers releasing. Unfortunately, it shot straight to the closest target. In this case, Veleth.

"Oh _vith!_"

Everyone turned to stare. "Hey it worked!" Nevusa jumped up excitedly. The rather _large_ dog blinked in utter confusion, very obviously _not_ expecting to find his world suddenly far shorter and colorless.

Connlach stared, his head tipped to the side. "Where did the dog come from?"

Nevano snickered. "It was Veleth a few seconds ago."

The dog whipped his head around and finally looked down, yelping when he saw paws and yelping again at the yelp.

Nevusa beamed. "I think I figured how to work the spell frame to alter the matrix of body size to larger. It's much easier to shrink things but to grow them larger? I was hoping to get him into something bigger but this is a good step."

"Well...I wouldn't try it with a horse," Ravenlight said wryly. "I know someone who was stuck like that for the better part of a day before a more experienced mage stepped in to help him."

The dog glared at Nevusa, a growl bubbling in his throat and his hackles rising.

"Not a full size horse. Not right away. Plenty of smaller beasts of burden to start with." Nevusa said. "Though if he keeps growling at me, it _will_ be a donkey so he can stay an ass for the rest of the day. I _know_ how to muzzle a growling beast."

"Having had to deal with some of those, I can assure you that a donkey can be worse than a _wolf_ when it comes to a bad-tempered creature," Ravenlight said. "Turn him back, please."

She paused suddenly, turning to face further out in the marsh and listening. "Well. It sounds like we're about to get some more guests; I should have known they wouldn't wait for us at Whiterun."

A loud pop sounded and Veleth staggered, nearly falling on his face. "I swear, if you turn me into one more damned animal you are going to wake up with the nastiest creature the twins and I can dig up in your bedroll!"

"You can practice with me when we head to Whiterun," Ravenlight said over her shoulder, walking toward the marsh. "I'd be glad to not have to _sit_ on anything for even a day while traveling."

"I got the perfect one for you!" Nevusa said.

Ravenlight held up a hand. "Not yet. Like I said, we're about to get some new guests, and I don't know how they'll react if they see me just transform into something without prior warning."

By now, the others could hear it, too: thumping and splashing, as if something large-or more than one something-was coming fast through the marsh.

"Incentive to put their clothes back on...maybe." Drelasa said.

"If Aela is with them-which I think she is-then _yes_."

Drizzt's eyes widened at that name, and he all but flew to yank his shirt back on. Nevusa narrowed her eyes, watching Drizzt. The twins seemed a bit concerned at his reaction too.

"Aela is..." Drizzt stammered, obviously trying to find words that were not...rude.

"Hunting." Ravenlight supplied. "And she can chase a man up a tree faster than anything else I've ever seen. Does it to Drizzt on a fairly regular basis." She looked over at her brother. "Something tells me I _should_ bring Catti-brie, and the baby, through, just to let her know you absolutely mean it that you're not interested."

"One of those." Veleth rumbled, glancing at Nevusa. "Would know nothing about that, would we?"

"I didn't chase you up a tree." Nevusa protested. "Just buried us under rubble."

"Not sure how that's better." Ravenlight glanced at Elealda and Drelasa. "It's going to get pretty noisy here in a few minutes; you might want to go inside until things have calmed down. And _I_..." She walked around the house and disappeared, though they heard what might have been the clatter of a bucket as she passed the well.

Drelasa raised an eyebrow. "Two women looking for a mate and all the males taken or terrified of strong females." She said. "I think 'noisy' is an understatement. I'm fairly certain that Solitude itself is going to wonder what is going on here."

"Catti-Brie is quite strong," Drizzt assured her. "Aela is..._hungry_."

"Oh, my dear sweet one, I had absolutely no doubt your other half is a force to be reckoned with. I really would love to meet her." Drelasa said. "But the two here _now_ are...well, we might have to leash them."

A voice called out. "Hello the house! Harbinger! You there?"

A few seconds later, the door banged open, and a blur raced out, shrieking with delight. "Farkas! Vilkas!"

"Ah, I recognize those names." Drelasa said. "Something Ravenlight said. That keeping them fed is much like feeding heavy armor. Bottomless pits. Perhaps it's a good thing we got the bull horker and not the smaller cow..."

Veleth frowned, a familiar...feel coming to him. He shifted his shoulder but his sword wasn't there. It was sitting with his armor inside the house still. The rage monster in his belly was arching and hissing.

With a splashing like a bull mammoth charging, a pair of men burst into view, picking up their own speed at the cry from the house. Both were Nords, and therefore large: but while one was small, in comparison to most, the other was huge even for a Nord, big and burly with dark, shaggy hair. He reached Lucia first and swept her up, whirling her around before hugging her tight. She shrieked happily, then wrapped her arms tight around his neck. "Oh, it's good to see you again!"

The smaller one laughed. "Hey, don't I get a hug, too?"

The big one looked over at him, considered, then shook his head. "Nope!"

Drizzt laughed. "Good to see you two again. Are the...others coming, too?"

The smaller one noticed him then, and walked over to him, grabbing his hand in a friendly fashion. Drizzt was _tiny_ compared to the two warriors; but somehow, he didn't appear...diminished, or lesser in any way.

Nevano slid Bonebiter back on its harness on his back and glanced around for Serana. Though the other Dunmer were relaxing now that the newcomers had been welcomed gladly, there were still quite a few strangers. Enough to make him feel a bit on unstable ground. Serana somehow helped keep his wild emotions from taking off.

"They're on their way. Not as close; Njada's pretty sure there was a troll somewhere in the area last time, and she's wanting to hunt it down." Vilkas clapped Drizzt on the back and turned to the others. "Hello...quite a crowd here today. Where's Ravenlight?"

"We think we know what troll you are talking about." Zeb said, with a swift look at his twin.

"In the swamp, by the rocks that look like a bull netch sitting on a ship." Min supplied.

"It's not there anymore." Zeb finished. "Even the fat was rendered worthless. But more will move in. They always do."

"Eh, she'll find something." Vilkas shrugged. "Always something in the marsh." He cocked his head, considering them. "So...who are you lot? Normally folk on their way up to Windstad have to stop by Whiterun on the way, if just to get directions. But I'd have remembered a pack of Dunmer coming through to visit the Harbinger."

"I brought them," Ravenlight said, reappearing around the house. She had a dripping bucket in both hands, and lifted them up to make sure the newcomers saw them before setting them firmly down beside the animal pens. "Good to see you boys. And I believe you said everyone else is on their way, too?"

The two warriors reacted to the buckets the same way Nevano and Veleth reacted to the slightest hint of a spell in Drelasa's hands. Instantly, the male Dunmer were on alert. They were now very well trained to Ravenlight and knew to listen to any hint to jump to her command. Thoughts of the water being turned to flying icicles had their ears twitching like alert horses.

"Yes," Farkas said, glancing from Ravenlight to Lucia, before apparently deciding that hugging the small girl wasn't going to attract her mother's ire. He then switched her from around his neck to up on his shoulders. "Um...Aela was the closest behind us."

"Somehow I'd guessed," the Bosmer said dryly. Ravenlight turned to the Dunmer. "These are Farkas and Vilkas, two of the Circle of the Companions." She turned back to the Companions just as their third member appeared: a strapping, handsome woman with thick tawny hair, and war paint striped across her face. While Farkas and Vilkas were well-armored, she wore bits and pieces of armor across a short tunic of leather, split down the middle to the belt that held her sword. And where Farkas was bear-like, and Vilkas could be compared to a saber-cat, the newcomer's movements were undoubtedly those of a wolf. "Ah. And this is Aela." Ravenlight leveled a finger at the woman. "Aela? Behave."

Veleth's eyes flared briefly when he looked at her, his face hard. No one really seemed to notice, fully absorbed in the newcomers as they were.

Aela smiled winningly and lifted her hands. "Don't worry, Harbinger. Not here to cause trouble. And I...remember what happened last time."

"Good. I brought out the buckets, just in case." Ravenlight turned to the others, and began introducing them in turn. "This is Nevano; his daughter Nevusa; the twins Min and Zeb, no I can't tell them apart either; Drelasa Veleth; her son Modyn Veleth-" Ravenlight looked hard at Veleth and aimed a stern finger at him. "And you behave too, unless you also want a soaking. And this is the surgeon Elealda."

"Almost!" One twin said. "I'm Min! Zeb got burned, remember?"

The others responded politely, Nevusa a bit frosty but keeping her manners. Veleth didn't take his eyes off Aela, the rage beast barely in his control as it screamed wildly. He knew her stance and her smell. It brought back memories, most of them wild and hazy. Milore screaming in terror, Glover's forge destroyed...he had never really paid Glover back for that accident but seeing as how it was destroyed using his back as the means of destruction and for all that happened after well, he had not been in the position to really help rebuild it.

"Balgruuf sent us out here," Farkas explained. "Said...you needed an honor guard? And there's something going on in High Rock?"

"He actually said he wanted us to find out exactly what was going on from you," Vilkas clarified. "And I think he wanted us to work out some aggression on giants and sabercats and such before the rest of the army gets to Whiterun. Been kind of quiet lately; though he did add he figured there might be some additional trouble from what's left of the Thalmor in the area, too, and wanted to make sure you and the kids were well-protected."

"Army?" Nevusa asked. "You got a full army?"

"We're going to have one," Ravenlight answered. "Remember how I sent out all those hawks? Enough small forces gathered together eventually make one very large one. Elisif's going to order out what she can of the Legion stationed in Skyrim; I've called the Mages from the College of Winterhold; the Dawnguard, and the reformed Blades. Even sent word to the Thieves' Guild; might not be warriors, but I can think of some places where a skilled thief will be a helpful ally."

"He said even the Forsworn might be coming," Farkas added.

"And I asked them all to gather around Whiterun. It's got the best terrain for a gathering army; and it's close enough to the border of Skyrim to mobilize and leave in a short window of time."

"Along with the Buoyant Armigers and what Relas and Garil have mustered...oh, and the Ashlanders." Drelasa smiled. "Very much an army. An impressive one too. Hopefully not one that will make those to the south take notice and react negatively."

"We're going south next," Ravenlight reminded her. "I'm going to have a chat with the Emperor about what's going on in High Rock. We need the rest of the Legion, too. "

Farkas shrugged, the motion making Lucia yelp and clutch at him. "Just point me at what I have to fight. Just because I'm not a werewolf anymore doesn't mean I don't like fighting vampires." He paused. "There were vampires, right?"

"Even better." Drelasa said. "Bit of a weight lifted, knowing that we won't have to worry about someone thinking we are an invading army."

"This needs the world," Ravenlight said firmly. "And not just a few heroes fighting for it."

"Nice change, for once." Nevano agreed.

"Yes," Drizzt said, "Mostly vampires. And probably daedra." He sighed. "More demons. Delightful."

"You have us." Nevano said. "We got your back on that."

"Yes, and I'm grateful." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's just..."

"They recently went through the equivalent of the Oblivion Crisis back in his homeland," Ravenlight explained, her lips twisting sourly.

"I understand. They aren't fun at all when they decide to hate on the world." Nevano said. "But, in this case, we can have some of them be useful."

"There's truth to that. If Molag Bal starts unleashing his creatures wholesale, I can't see the others standing back and just letting it happen. Particularly not the three 'Black Ladies', as Uliamu called them." Ravenlight looked over the twin Companions and Aela. "I'm going to regret asking this, but...did any of you happen to eat this morning at all?"

They looked at her, wide-eyed, and shook their heads. Ravenlight heaved a sigh. "I was afraid of that. All right, come on in. Farkas, put Lucia down before you scrape her off on the door."

"Bottomless pits..." Drelasa sighed. "This means we're pulling the big pot out then."

"And the big spits." Ravenlight sighed. "Last time they ate three deer between them, and they've probably been traveling all night."

Elealda approached. "Is there anything I can help with? My...cooking skills aren't the best, I'm afraid, but I can at least peel and cut vegetables, if necessary."

"It'll be necessary." The Bosmer was staring straight ahead as they walked in. "I should have bought out Jala's stall while I was in Solitude. They'll finish off everything from the garden and then some."

Drelasa whistled. "We might be finishing off that bull horker then. Good thing we got all that deer. Roast the deer and put the horker in a stew. That scrib jelly should have cut the taste from that big male by now."

"I'll take care of the meat. You get that stew going." Ravenlight shook her head. "There are times I regret letting them know how good a cook I am..."

"Because we haven't found it in our hearts to let them starve yet." Drelasa said, heading inside. "And they usually start to, once their favorite source of food quits feeding them."

"Vilkas might. Aela...wouldn't anytime soon." Ravenlight shrugged. "Farkas I suspect would still happily gnaw raw meat off any animal he happened to bring down, but that's just him. It doesn't stop him from sitting down and staring at me like an oversized puppy until I give him something cooked".

Drelasa hummed her amusement.

"Fortunately, we won't have to cook for _all_ the Companions." Ravenlight reached the fire and built it up, then took a longer spit from where it hung beside the fire. "And I won't have to put them all up. They'll put up a camp around the house; hunt and fish to keep themselves going." She paused, looking over at the other two. "They've grown quite a bit in the time since Kodlak died and I was proclaimed Harbinger. Apparently, quite a number in Skyrim decided they wanted to say they serve under the Dragonborn, even if the Harbinger doesn't technically lead."

"Funny how a good name does that." Drelasa heaved the enormous pot over. "Just as well...you'd have no food left even I sent all my boys hunting."

"There are times when the _city_ has trouble keeping up," Ravenlight said. "Certainly been good for the farmers, though. They keep the area well cleared of both predators and game, so fields, gardens, and livestock all grow without difficulty. And only the really _stupid_ bandits try to stake out Whiterun now. They've pretty much been forced to stay in the mountains."

Drelasa hauled out the horker meat and sniffed. "Ah. much better. Reminds me of Balmora, only it wasn't bandits so much. Not so many bandits on that island. The wildlife was worse."

"Can't say either way, myself." Ravenlight set up basting pans beneath the spit bar and began to slide venison onto it. "The one time I've ever been on Vvardenfell was when we visited the Ashlanders, and we didn't stay aboveground long enough to see anything dangerous. Of course, I'd also exhausted myself earlier, so I...passed out shortly after Odahviing left us to go to the hills for food and rest himself, so if anything showed up before, I don't know."

"It's far different now." Drelasa said. "I lived there before the eruption. Balmora now is...well, my son and Nevano saw it and described it as literally living up to its name: Stone Forest. It is a grave now. Vvardenfell was always rather wild but it almost is fully now. Rebuilding efforts are slow, costly and dangerous. It was beautiful there. I don't think I can go back there though."

"Not if you remember how it once had been." Serana appeared from wherever she'd previously vanished to. "I feel the same way around Winterhold. I remember it being a city, bright and vibrant: seeing it now, as a crumbling ruin barely clinging to life, hurts. Do you need my help in here or would you rather I stay outside and glare, if necessary, to keep...tensions steady?"

"The tensions outside, sweet child." Drelasa said. "Lots of new meetings and different backgrounds along with already heightened tension. They don't need to squabble before we get going. And it's...it's more than the place. I was hardly into my majority when I met Jorun. Nearly my entire time on Vvardenfell was with him. We grew there together. Happiness, tragedy, victory and sadness...all the things life's struggle brings, we faced it together. Even when he would be gone for weeks at a time, searching for the last remaining ash vampires. When we left...we left with only what we could carry, to start over in Blacklight. Not two months later, Red Mountain erupted."

"And wiped out your old world." Ravenlight shook her head and shuddered. "I think that's one of the reasons I never went back to Valenwood. My family is still there, but Firefall...isn't. The place would still feel hollow and empty without him. And yes, Serana, if you would go outside and be a calming influence of sorts? Especially if Gen and Sine are out there too?"

Serana inhaled sharply at those names, and was gone before anyone could blink.

"Sounds like trouble..." Drelasa deftly sliced up the horker. "I have no other blood family to speak of. Just Modyn and I and all those I have taken to consider as family. Family does not have to be blood. It is who you choose. I chose Jorun and though I miss him terribly...he opened up a world for me I never would have gotten to see otherwise."

"I understand _that_ perfectly. The family I've gathered around me here..." Ravenlight laughed. "Well, they're pretty obviously not related to me by blood. But...we're incredibly close, all the same."

"Exactly." Drelasa accepted the newly chopped vegetables and put them in with the horker. "Far closer than I ever was with my own family. _That_ is nothing I miss."

"Hm. Sounds like you, Drizzt and Serana could swap stories." Ravenlight shrugged. "Mine was good. Except Sparrowwing, and if we do go to Valenwood to ask for Rangers, do _not_ let him get anywhere within arm's reach of you unless you want to be frantically shaking something slimy, leggy, wriggling, or all of the above out of your collar. Because you could probably hit him with a lightning bolt that cracks the _tree_ under him, and he'd probably still think it was worth it."

"Explains why you called Nevano that once." Drelasa smiled. "Mine weren't _nearly_ that bad. Just...greedy and obnoxious. Living a life I wanted nothing to do with. When they harass me too much, I tell Nevano to go annoy them right back. They are well aware of it too."

"Between Sparrowwing and Jarlaxle, I've certainly got my fill of the greedy and obnoxious." Ravenlight frowned, basting some of the meat. "I'm...conflicted, actually, and could use some advice. Drizzt's father, the only member of his family who was worth _anything_, has been returned to life through a _far_ too complicated series of events. He's a phenomenal warrior, and I'd honestly love to have him with us facing this. It would probably be good for him, too. The problem is, Jarlaxle was and is one of the few people Zak considered a friend, and I'm not sure I could really impress on him just how badly I _don't_ want that pain in the neck finding out I'm from another world."

"It wouldn't be fair to ask for someone's help with conditions." Drelasa said. "Would his help truly make a difference?"

"It really could. You've seen Drizzt fight? Zak taught him. Probably one of the very few people I know of who could match him." She poured more juice over the meat. "And he was Weapons Master back in his old house; their trainer. Might baffle the living heck out of him to see who he might help whip into shape over here, but..." She pursed her lips. "I don't like asking with conditions, either. Catti-Brie, on the other hand, will understand, and will be an _incredible_ help. I'll talk to Drizzt and go through to get her later today, I think."

"Considering this fight and how much help he will provide...I say it's worth the risk." Drelasa stabbed a potato that floated to the surface. "I...never did tell you what I was doing in Solitude."

Ravenlight glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow.

"My grandfather had moved there. The name attracted him. He headed the family business but I see finally retired...or, rather, was forced to." Drelasa added a handful of spices in. "A hard man. Very hard. But the only one, I think, to begrudgingly accept what I had done. Enough so...he let me keep what I took. A huge thing, if seeming so little. Not enough to ever bless my wedding. In fact...only Jorun's father came..."

Drelasa took a deep breath in. "I found him. I intended to ask him if there was a way I could beg for any spare supplies to be sent to High Rock. To bolster the armies and restock the towns. But he was...half withered away when I saw him. I couldn't do it."

"However...someone else found me. Garvon. He was a servant in my family's employ but he delighted in waiting on me as a child. He was my best and only friend. Did everything a parent _should_ have. I guess he's caring for the old man now. Caring is what he did best. He...told me that while my parents disowned me, my grandfather never struck my name. With his retirement...oh Azura help me I can barely say it."

Ravenlight's eyebrows shot up. "Let me guess, you may not have the wheel, as it were, but you're captain now anyway?"

"Only if I claim it. Which...I did. We might hear the scream of outrage even here." Drelasa sighed. "Going to have to kill a few Morag Tong before this is over. But I took it. The entire trading empire is mine, for now. Supplies will reach High Rock, more than I counted on but that's a good thing. I'll deal with the jackals later. So...if the risk we take on in this turns out to be a bit more than we thought we could chew...well, a good thing both you and I can conjure storms because a few lightning bolts up the backside does a lot of good."

Ravenlight gave her a fierce grin-one that reminded Drelasa of the darker stories of Bosmer. "Don't worry about the Morag Tong. I destroyed the Dark Brotherhood, and won't mind adding a few other assassins to that list. And good for you." She turned back to her cooking, the ferocity fading slightly. "I've been weighing this whole 'destruction of the Wheel' issue, trying to decide if it's worth the risk of Jarlaxle getting wind of Tamriel; but I keep feeling like it'll be like a farmer bringing in a fox to clear his henhouse of rats. The fox will probably get rid of the rats...but it'll demand its payment in chickens."

"Depends on the type of chicken you have." Drelasa said. "The kind that falls down dead when frightened...or the sort that puffs up indignantly and shrieks back?"

"The kind that _might_ fight back, but you'll still only find its feathers in the morning," Ravenlight said grimly. "When I first met him, I could count the number of people he actually considered _people_ in their own right-instead of expendable pawns-on the fingers of one hand. Now?" She gave the spit a turn slightly more ferocious than necessary. "I have to use two hands. It's not really an improvement. He's charming, affable, even friendly-but make no mistake, he is the most cold-blooded, dangerous bastard I have ever met in my life, and that's counting Harkon Volkihar."

"Can his friend be counted on to, if not keep this from him, but contain him?"

"Zak? No." Ravenlight shook her head. "Drizzt could _maybe_ make it clear to him that his ambitions would not be welcome here; but Zak might not see the need." She sighed. "Though...he certainly does understand that Jarlaxle has a way of making a corkscrew look like an arrow, and he _does_ have a strong sense of honor. He'd probably understand _why_ I didn't want the creep around."

"Then perhaps you can word it different." Drelasa said. "Make it seem less of 'I don't want him here because he'll be annoying to the people.' but more that you don't want him here because you are that, hmmm what's a good word. I wouldn't say fearful. Concerned? A good word that you have a young child you are wanting to protect."Make it far more personal and appeal to that honorable side." Drelasa said. "It's not lying, it's just putting it more in terms he can understand so he doesn't get the two sides muddled together."

"That's...possible," Ravenlight mused. "And even _more_ possible if it's phrased that way either by or for Drizzt. Zak's still got a pretty cynical streak in him-but he genuinely loves his son. And keeping his mouth shut about this will be considerably less...drastic than some of the things he's done for him in the past."

"There you have it." Drelasa said. "Keep the pestilence out so Drizzt can spend more time with _his_ child, rather than putting out fires here."

"Be helpful all around." Ravenlight smiled. "All right, then. I'll head over to find Catti-Brie tonight; and if I can safely retrieve Zak as well, I'll ask if he'd like in on this."

"A very sound plan." Drelasa frowned and tipped her head, listening to the increasing noise from outside. "I hope that's sparring."

"Possibly not." Ravenlight put her basting spoon down with a _smack_. "Just a minute..."

"Can't leave them for half a moment..." Drelasa shook her head.

The door banged open, then closed behind her. A few moments later, the walls shook. "_ZUN HAAL VIIK_!" A _splash_ of water followed the roar.

* * *

Nevano started laughing hysterically as both sets of twins hit the deck as water, and buckets, rained down on them.

Veleth shook his head. "Good. All four of them weren't even thinking of foot work there."

Farkas and Vilkas quailed as the Dragonborn stalked toward them, glaring. Min and Zeb looked between each other and started hastily backing away.

"What," she growled, her voice deeper and more resonant than usual, "were you _idiots_ doing? Do I have to clarify what guest rule is again? For either of you?"

Min and Zeb echoed each other perfectly. Only problem was, they said it in Velothi, which only Nevano knew fluently but he was laughing too much to translate.

Ravenlight's shadow seemed to darken and grow, until a dragon was silhouetted clearly on the walls behind her. "What," she said, her voice deadly calm, "happened?"

"As much as I think they _all_ are morons." Veleth said. "They actually were sparring. Just...being young idiots and getting carried away."

The darkened shadow faded, and Ravenlight swept her gaze over the combatants, noticing a cut over Min's (Zeb's?) right eye, and the livid bruises on both Farkas and Vilkas's arms. "You," she said, pointing to the bleeding one, "get Elealda to stitch you up. You two," she pointed at Farkas and Vilkas, "inside and sit down. _Now._"

"Well, we can tell them apart now." Veleth mused.

Farkas and Vilkas obediently scuttled inside and plunked themselves down on separate benches by the table. The bleeding twin was kept sternly away from the table as Elealda picked up the sewing box and strode toward him with grim purpose. "So what exactly happened?" she asked as she began sponging the worst of the blood off his face so that she could see what she was doing.

Min tried to move out of the way of her ministrations, though he kept his rear seated, seeing as who was in the same house.

"Well, they told us they weren't in the furry way anymore." Zeb answered for his twin. "So we got curious if they were just as strong as if they still were. It was a fun fight."

"I can tell by the way I'm going to have to round up the chickens before the foxes in the marsh get them," Ravenlight growled. "And by the damage to the pen and the shed. Of course they're just as good: being werewolves made them more savage, not more skilled."

"Quit moving," Elealda said sternly to Min, "or I will pin you to make sure you don't."

"Not true!" Zub said. "They survived. Only the smart ones do."

"'Smart' in this case meaning 'not preying on every innocent they happened upon?'" Ravenlight raised an eyebrow at him. "I won't say they had more control than most werewolves; I went almost insane the first time I turned, and it was largely luck that I remembered to keep away from the town when it happened. But they had enough control over their instincts to channel who they were fighting, especially when the enemy was vampires."

Zeb sighed dramatically. "No no. Smart as in, they _remember_. Less werebeast, more man in fur. We had a pack like that on Solstheim. Kept to themselves, powerful as a dremora, we'd see them turned...but we could say hello, they'd nod to us and go back to their hunt. They had their home, we had ours, we didn't cross the two. No bother there. Then there were the others. Some couldn't control and others...didn't want to. We had a terrible problem with one who was in perfect control of himself but had every evil intention in the world. Old thing. Very old, very big. Very, very nasty."

"Oh." Farkas nodded. "That's what you meant. Yeah, we were...smart like that. Aela still is."

Min let out a shrill yelp as the needle pierced his skin, which was muffled as Elealda wrapped his head in one arm and held him still, continuing to push and pull the needle with her other hand.

Zeb watched his twn flail like a fish out of water without much sympathy. "We've never met one that had turned back before. Must have been a lot to do."

"Had to hunt down the Glenmoril witches," Vilkas said. "Hagravens, one and all. And then make it to the tomb of Ysgramor. But...the old man had wanted that, so...we did it." He shrugged. "Not sorry we did. Not sorry we gave it up, either. I hadn't known I wanted to at first, really, but...well, if the Dragonborn didn't want it...why should we?"

"Quit flailing," Elealda growled, "or I will put you on the floor and have that big strong Nord over there come _sit_ on you. Honestly. It's a cut two inches long, it's not like I'm having to sew up the entire length of your torso!"

"Many do or don't for many reasons." Zeb shrugged, sliding a foot over to kick Min before his flailing got too bad. "We saw lots of were_bears,_ for instance. Some said they changed due to a twisted heart or something. Most we saw were...tortured. In the mind." Zeb looked at his brother. "All our tattoos and markings and you won't sit for this?"

Whether it was the threat of being squashed by Farkas-who had turned to watch with obvious intent to help if the surgeon asked for it-or Zeb's scorn, Min finally subsided, allowing the Altmer woman to finish her work without having to struggle every time she went to poke the needle in. Ravenlight choked back a snort of laughter when she saw that, unlike the simple white thread Elealda had used on Veleth, Min's forehead was decorated with stitches of bright green.

"Speaking of Aela," Ravenlight said suddenly, realizing abruptly that the woman had not been immediately in the vicinity of the fight, "where is she?"

Farkas and Vilkas both shrugged. "She was there when we started fighting. Though...I think Gen and Sine came up; said they'd found something a little further down the coast? Wanted to check it out."

* * *

Outside, all the chickens had been caught and Nevano was getting the last bit of repairs done. The goat was following Veleth around happily, seeming to beg every time he stopped.

Several more Companions had come up in the meantime; both old-timers who'd been there under Kodlak, and newer ones who'd been drawn to the Dragonborn's reputation. These latter included a pair of dark-eyed Bosmer, a female Khajiit, and the fairly-infamous Gen and Sine: a pair of Forsworn who'd given their oaths to Madanach, and had agreed to join the Companions as a way of bolstering the relations between the old enemies.

Nevano pointedly stayed away from them, his swords hidden and his ring twisted so it faced his palm. He wasn't feeling up to being overly social and preferred to stay by Serana.

Serana, thankfully, was not particularly tense. She was well-known among the Companions, and they knew better than to dare her...or their Harbinger, for that matter, and some of them were muttering-not loudly-about how they'd known how the fight between Farkas and Vilkas and the Dunmer twins would have ended. None of them appeared to be more than curious about the strange Dunmer; others were setting up tents and spits on the rocky areas around the house.

Nevano was thankful for her steadiness. It wasn't the people so much as it was several old memories springing up unbidden from all the recent activities. He couldn't get away so much as face it all now. That was not something he was used to doing.

Serana noticed the way he was moving, and put her lips to his ear. "Imagine how they're all going to react when she tells them about Gyrmallion and the others," she whispered. "And then how they're not going to _dare_ do anything about it with her standing there."

Nevano grinned. It would be worth it to watch them squirm a bit.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, Farkas and Vilkas staggered outside, carrying a massive cast-iron pot between them. Min and Zeb followed, Min sporting an interesting stripe of green stitches over his right eye, and both of them balancing a spit with what was probably an entire deer and a half roasted on it. Ravenlight followed, and as the warriors set down their respective burdens in front of the house, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.

"You will have to hunt and fish for yourselves after this! But at this moment, lunch is on me!"

Nevano blinked as a literal stampede charged over. "Guess they were hungry?"

Serana tugged him over in the direction of the food. "Come on, or there won't be anything left. They all know Ravenlight's a better cook than almost any of them, they're not going to miss this!"

It was only due to her urging that he went over. Thankfully, while the crowd was initially fierce, they saw Serana and gave way, moving away from the cauldron and spit as they got their stew and meat. A stack of wooden bowls and trenchers stood on a bench beside the pot; she took two, and served them both, before pulling him away to a quieter spot.

He was insanely grateful to be out of the middle of the crowd. "I swear to you, I'm not normally this antisocial."

She handed him his share before biting into the meat herself. "Mmm. I guessed, really; there's a lot of people around, and you don't know any of them. Ravenlight gets that way sometimes, too."

"Heh, it's been an insane several days. Even being dropped into Vvardenfell didn't move this fast." Nevano said, taking a bite of stew. "Amazing how you never realize how hungry you are until you start eating. And those two I swear put magic in whatever they make."

"Almost!" She swallowed. "I mean...look at me."

"That's very easy to do." He winked at her.

"Silly." She grinned at him. "I'm a vampire, remember? I don't have to eat normal food. But blood potions, while they satisfy and keep my hunger at bay...they really don't have much in the way of _taste_. Actual blood...well, it does, but I don't really like drinking human blood except in dire circumstances. So...I really don't get nourishment from it, but Ravenlight's cooking _more_ than makes up for that."

He grinned wider. "See? Magic. Though if you want nourishing AND pretty tasty, you should ask Drelasa about her blood recipes. She made this...thing. I have no idea what it was but she said it was made with blood and wickwheat and it chewed like smoked meat but it was _so_ good."

"Hm. I might have to try it." She took a bit of the stew. "Mmm. What's wickwheat?"

"Morrowind's version of wheat." Nevano quickly swallowed his bite to answer. "Keeps growing even when the volcano makes our weather change abruptly."

"Ah." She considered. "I'd like to go to Morrowind someday. Morrowind, Cyrodiil, Valenwood...everywhere, really. I've seen...so little of the world."

Nevano chewed slowly, staring out at nothing. "Come back with me," he said suddenly.

She looked at him, half-startled. "You...mean that?"

"I've stayed in Blacklight for a long while, longer than I have in one place in a _long_ time but..." Nevano tapped his foot. "I want to see more. So, yes, I mean it. I want to see the rest of Tamriel without it being exile or someone wanting me to save the world or whatever other excuse. So after we save the world here, come back with me. We'll see Morrowind and then go to other places. I've only seen Morrowind, Cyrodiil and parts of Skyrim and _one_ not exactly pleasant place in High Rock. We've got an enormous life ahead of us and we've seen so little. So yes, come with me and we'll see it."

"I..." She paused, as if to consider it. Then she smiled and reached out, taking his hand. "I will."

Nevano grinning widely and gave her hand a squeeze. "We'll start there and you choose the next place we go."

"Well..." She considered for a moment, then laughed. "We may have to wait until this is over before I know for sure. But...you know, I've always been rather fascinated with Cyrodiil; it was such a backwater place when I was young, and then to wake up and find that it's-it's been the seat of an _empire_ for hundreds-no, thousands-of years!"

"You'll love what they did to the place." Nevano said. "I spent nineteen years there and then back and forth between Cyrodiil and Morrowind. Definitely _much_ warmer there. You'll love Skingrad. Rolling hills and farms. It's gorgeous there. I _think_ Janus Hassildor still rules it. As he has for the past three hundred years. Another vampire who we won't see in High Rock. If he hears that call, he'll be the first to curse it out and go back to confusing his subjects on how he's lived for so long."

"A vampire count? And one who's also-resisting?" Serana's eyes lit up. "Oh-I'd love to talk to him. Find out if it really does get harder the-the longer one lives." She looked down. "My father told me...the last time we spoke, before I-before Ravenlight and Drizzt and I, killed him...he said that this 'stage', of resisting the curse, doesn't last. That Molag Bal wins in the end." Her hands clenched. "He was...he was a monster among monsters, and I _don't_ want it to be true."

"I didn't figure out he was a vampire until well after the Oblivion Crisis." Nevano said. "I sent him a letter saying I must applaud his ability of making friends with Telvanni wizards. He saw what I meant immediately and actually met with me...at night, of course. He tore my hide a new one, but he calmed after I told him that since people weren't mysteriously disappearing from Skingrad, his secret was safe with me. Turns out, he sniffs at other vampires, saying they've given in to their urges. Kinda like werewolves...or some, at least. I think if you don't want it to be, it won't. Nerevar always told me that those that try to force their power through blood and violence always meet their end in the same way...but those who say enough, the ones that go away from that path, will always be rewarded and will always be remembered."

"That's...comforting, actually." Serana leaned against his shoulder. "Drizzt always says it's not easy taking the other path...but that it can be done. And that it's not what you _are_ that defines you, but what you _do_."

"It's never easy and often lonely." Nevano put an arm around her comfortingly. "But it's rewarding. You met incredible people along the way, do things you'd never think possible and, above all else, you succeed where so many others failed, opening a path that others can follow and not fail themselves."

"Opening a path where others can follow..." Serana's eyes grew distant. "Maybe...maybe I can do what Ravenlight believes Vyrthur was supposed to do: find the...the way back. Not just a cure, but...a path of hope for any who fall to it." She glanced back at some noise Nevano missed. "That's...odd. I wonder what that gesture meant."

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll help." He looked up. "What?"

"Ravenlight and Drelasa just...smacked their hands together."

"Oh!" Nevano smiled. "Think of it as...a congratulations. They pulled off feeding everyone and I think we're the only ones talking because everyone is still busy shoveling it in their mouth as fast as they can."

"Oh. That makes sense." Serana did not say she was pretty sure both women had looked away from them when she turned her head to see what she'd heard. It probably didn't mean anything, anyway.

"Considering how they made this stinky bull horker taste delicious and _not_ like an old, stinky horker and this deer you don't need a knife for, they can be smug all they want." Nevano never noticed anything otherwise.

"They really can." Serana dismissed the odd gesture from her mind and went back to eating. After a few more minutes, she glanced over at Nevano. "We shouldn't go...as far as we did yesterday...but after we're finished, would you like to...at least walk along the beach a little ways? It'll be quieter than up here."

"Would love to." He said, halfway considering tossing his bowl over his shoulder to go with her that much faster.

About half a minute later, they heard footsteps pattering up behind them. "'Scuse me," Lucia said. "Mama's sending me around to gather up plates and bowls. Are you finished?"

Nevano had just swallowed his last bite. "Yes. _juohn, hla muhrjul_."

"Ummm...okay, then!" Lucia took their dishes and trotted off. As they stood to slip off toward the sea, they heard her asking the next group if they were finished yet.

"I should probably hold off the Dunmeri." Nevano grinned. "I think I confused her."

"Probably," Serana said wryly. "Not all that many folk speak it around her." She slid her hand into his. "Including me. But...I'd like to learn it." She darted him a coy glance. "Care to start teaching me?"

Nevano gave her hand a small squeeze. "_Ku'ayneiris ohn ural._"

* * *

Ravenlight bit back on the yell of triumph as the pair slipped away from the others, heading down to the beach. It was still early; she knew that. But all the same...seeing them together like that was...was just as satisfying as watching Drizzt and Catti-Brie together, and she was darn well going to make sure _that_ happened in the very near future. In the meantime... She took stock of what food there was left. Somehow, impossibly, there actually _was_ still food left over: enough meat and stew for...five light meals.

_Well. Looks like we won't have to make anything else for the Altmer. And by now, they may be wanting something a little heartier._

Drelasa was humming to herself, smirking and looking _far_ too pleased. "Did you see how they were leaning against each other?" She couldn't help the tiny squeal that made its way into her voice.

"I did." She was on the verge of purring herself over that. "And they were heading down to the beach, too." She giggled. "I'm tempted to ask Serana if she wants to have my amulet of Mara...see if he'd know what that meant."

Drelasa snorted. "His mind might break in half over that once it sets in!"

"You both are horrible." Veleth was leaning against the wall behind them. "Yet, at the same time, brilliant."

"I just wanted them to get to know each other, especially after finding him ready to...bolt into the night, I guess, rather than stay and get close to people." Ravenlight shrugged. "I didn't really anticipate the...happy end result of this. But it makes sense. They're both going to be around _far_ longer than the rest of us. And while I know she's not...overly fond of temples, we _know_ a priest of Mara who'd be happy to do it elsewhere. In fact, he'd probably be willing to do it here."

"Though he's _not_ a follower of Mara, it _is_ tradition that the member of a lesser clan follow the bindings and traditions of the greater one they are going into." Veleth rubbed at his jaw. "Though Azura might have a thing or two to say about that...if you are eager to see those two get bound. Why the hell am I even thinking about this...?"

"_But_...if you want to marry them off, you better do it quick." Veleth carefully pushed off the wall, mindful of his stitches holding his torso together. "They are talking about exploring all of Tamriel together once everything is finished here."

"We'll drop a few hints about it before we head to High Rock," said Ravenlight, a little smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "And I may know which ones to use."

"Should I warn Nevusa?"

"No...I don't think that is necessary." Drelasa said. "Nevano made his peace with Sorosi. He and Nevusa will work on their relationship on their own accord, as it won't ever be a traditional one but, as is fitting to them, what they want it to be."

"Might see if we can't find someone for Nevusa, too," Ravenlight added slyly. "Might cause more scandal than running off with a bodyguard...but there's quite a few nice catches here, and heaven knows she'll be able to look them over."

"Just because I've been watching all day and _not_ because I want to know any of this..." Veleth actually sounded annoyed with himself. "She's shown quite a bit of interest in humans too. She's spent her whole life in Morrowind. She's interested in branching out a bit."

"Well, if she likes humans..." Ravenlight snickered. "Farkas is _not_ subtle. Shy, kind of innocent...but not at _all_ subtle. He's not the brains of the brothers by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a good provider, very loyal...and he _definitely_ thinks she's attractive."

"She's noticed." Veleth sighed. "She has noticed." He gave his mother and Ravenlight a hard look. "You two aren't planning on taking this further, are you?"

Ravenlight shrugged a little. "Would it be such a bad thing if we were? We can't focus on battle and death and the destruction of the world _all_ the time; there's got to be a reason you want it to keep turning."

"I...suppose you are right." Veleth admitted reluctantly.

"If we can get this to go right," Ravenlight mused, tapping her fingers, "Nevano will have someone who cares about him by his side for the rest of his life, however long that may be...and Nevusa will not have to worry about her arranged marriage down in Necrom." She nodded toward Farkas, who'd stood up to 'help' her with something. He was larger than most of the other Nords. "I mean...sure, they're going to object. And loudly. But once they _see_ him?"

"Messing with nobles and politics is a pastime for me, so I can get behind that one real fast." Veleth admitted easily. "Plus, I know Nevusa will jump at it. For all the reasons. She might be the one on board with all this the fastest."

"Very likely."

"The only reason she hasn't erupted with jealousy over Aela yet is because Aela took off after a bit." Veleth didn't sound the least bit upset over that. "And because you said behave."

"Eh," Ravenlight shrugged, "Aela isn't interested in the twins, and vice versa. It's like me with Drizzt: they're closer to her kid brothers than anything else. Though it will likely help if she can tell that..." She watched the pair. Farkas did not have the quickest tongue in the Companions at the best of times, and while his eyes were focused on Nevusa like she was a magnet and he a piece of steel, she doubted he'd been able to put three unrelated words together the whole time. "And _he_ might need a little help, too."

"Not...quite the reason she's jealous but we'll go with that." Veleth watched as well. "Though if you are going to play matchmaker with Dunmer, this is excluding Nevano, by the way, you should know what we usually go for. That way you can decide if this will work or go down in a flaming mess."

"So what advice should I give him?" Ravenlight was smirking by now. "Besides, 'If you're going to give her flowers, don't gather them out of the marsh'?"

Veleth squirmed a bit. "He's got the first part down. He's caught her eye. No matter what our reputation is to the rest of the world, and I'm well aware it's not the most positive, we do like things that look good."

"After having dealt with Drow for a few years, Dunmer don't look so bad," Ravenlight said dryly. "And I don't think there's a race in this world that _doesn't_ like things that look good. So, he's got the first part down...what would next parts be?"

She shot a grin at Drelasa. In truth, she would have normally turned to the woman for advice on this anyway; but it was fun watching Veleth stammer and squirm.

Drelasa smirked. "For one who ran absolutely wild when he was younger and then sired a child out of wedlock, you do get shy, my son."

Veleth hissed through his teeth. "It was not _that _bad!"

"Sweet child, your father ran a spy organization as well as the city watch." Drelasa said. "We are very well aware of the trouble you got into."

Veleth's ears instantly turned a shade of red so brilliant it could have directed travelers through the swamp.

Ravenlight giggled wickedly. "Soooo...should I tell Farkas to ask _you_ for advice, then? I am blatantly aware that if he tries to ask Drizzt, he will get nowhere."

The red started to creep from Veleth's ears to his cheeks.

"What he is undoubtedly going to try to say..." Drelasa said. "The man better perform well enough to make every woman in that half of the province instantly sit up straight with jealousy. The more another woman rages with jealousy the better." Drelasa smiled suddenly. "My cousins may have delighted in my downfall but you should have _seen_ the looks on their faces when they saw Jorun. And I made sure to let them all know that he was-"

"ENOUGH! _Vith!_" Veleth all but bolted out. "Don't want to know!"

Ravenlight laughed so hard she had to lean against Drelasa to stay upright. "Something tells me," she managed to gasp out, "that Farkas will probably have _that_ part covered, too!"

"What is it about these big males?" Drelasa winked at her. "The bigger they are, the more shy they become? Boy is just like his father. And I _beat_ women off his oblivious hide. Men...can't live with them, can't live without them. Farkas I believe will do just fine. Might not be a werewolf anymore but as long as he has that same ferocity behind closed doors...we might want to make sure any beloved furniture is removed first."

"Certainly anything delicate." Ravenlight grinned. "By the way, I was not joking about Drizzt. He's sweet, he's charming, he's chivalrous, he's protective, he is a _demon_ in battle, and I should hardly have to mention how attractive he is...and he is _utterly_ clueless when it comes to women and to romance. From what Catti-Brie told me, she was in love with him for _years_ before he finally realized he needed to do something about that!" She straightened. "We'll have to make sure it doesn't go that far for either Serana and Nevano, or for Nevusa and Farkas. But...I somehow don't think we'll have too much trouble with that."

Drelasa sighed. "I...do not doubt that about him for a moment. The good news about Nevano and Serana is that Nevano isn't new at this. He's letting it happen how it will, which I am insanely happy about. Nevusa and Farkas might dive in headfirst. Such how it is with some of the young ones."

"So. We temper the enthusiasm of the young ones a little, to make sure the flame doesn't burn too high and then go out...and we make sure that when the flame between the older two burns white-hot, it binds them together." Ravenlight smiled. "Oh, this _will_ be fun."

"Oh with Nevusa it will be easy...and _fun_." Drelasa smirked. "Keep them running errands opposite each other, only letting them be together for short periods of time."

"Not hard to do, either." Ravenlight could already think of a few dozen potential errands to keep them apart.

"Nevano and Serana...there's a tricky one." Drelasa tapped her fingers. "They seem to know what they want, _but_ Nevano, as you've noticed, seems to like to hide the personal things."

"Serana's bad about that, too." Ravenlight sighed. "Not that I can blame her...she's one of the few people I know who can make _Drizzt_ say his early life wasn't that bad. We might need to take some fairly...drastic measures with them."

"No kidding. It was Jorun who even knew Nevusa existed but that was because he heard about a child with sunburst eyes. We had no idea he had gone to see Sorosi." Drelasa sighed. "What do you have planned?"

"I don't think I have anything concrete just yet..." Ravenlight said slowly. "But it might be best to get them married...quickly. I don't _think_ Nevano would have any real intention to run away from Serana, but he has a little issue with despair that could _really_ complicate things-and I suspect it's more than just occasional gloom."

"It hangs over him constantly like a storm cloud." Drelasa agreed. "To the point where he doesn't think he deserves the things others get, like a life in general. He will be okay until he realizes he truly loves her and then he will spook himself into something very stupid. You saw how he can get. If he's not headed off before he bolts...it's very difficult to find him again. Once convinced its truly real and no one will take it from him, he will lock onto it like a barnacle and never leave it."

"So...best to tie the knot before we leave for Cyrodiil, perhaps?" Ravenlight considered. "Hmmm...Serana really isn't one for temples, considering what _happened_ to her in her family's...but..." She sat up suddenly. "The portico. Meridia has an old temple outside of Solitude, and while the temple itself has never really been cleansed from what the necromancer Malkoran did inside, the portico is still pure. It's large enough for a wedding party, too. And I don't think anyone would object to having the wedding there. I know a priest of Mara who'd be happy to officiate, too." She grinned. "And he's a Dunmer, too. Being able to officiate at the wedding of the Nerevarine? He'd be _thrilled_."

"We might need to find a priest of Azura too." Drelasa said. "Like Modyn said, she might have a thing or two to say if her favorite champion...pardon, champions, did not have her represented. How many Azura worshippers are there in Skyrim?"

"I know a priestess of Azura, too: Aranea Ienith. She keeps the Shrine of Azura, up near Winterhold." Ravenlight grinned. "And I can get in touch with the College quickly enough to have them bring her down."

"Perfect!"

Ravenlight's eyes sparked. "Do you think they'd object to us dressing Serana in that outfit Nevano found for me to impress the Dunmer? I don't think there's a prettier outfit in Skyrim-and she's almost my size. It'll fit her."

"My dear, it was a gift to you." Drelasa smiled broadly. "You can put anyone you wish in it. And I think Nevano's eyes might pop out of his skull if he saw Serana in that."

Ravenlight giggled. "Oh, this is too much fun. What stones to Dunmer wedding rings have? I'm good with jewelry-making, and I've got...more than enough precious metals and stones for them."

"Usually ones that represent something they belong to. Yellow or blue for Azura, purple or black for Mephala and red for Boethiah." She held up the black band with the cracked purple stone. "I had this made for Jorun. Nevano likes silver though. Usually he has silver earrings...when they aren't getting ripped out in fights."

"Silver...and blue. I have sapphires. And for Serana...well, she can't wear silver, fairly obviously, but I have plenty of gold...what would it be for Meridia, do you know?"

"Hmmm...have you heard of the Ring of Kahjiiti?" Drelasa asked.

Ravenlight shook her head.

"It is Meridia's other artifact. In addition to the sword." Drelasa said. "It has red and yellow stones on it, last it was known. Meridia does like colors though. Her realm is known as the Colored Rooms."

"Hmm...well, in that case. Gold and rubies." Ravenlight smiled. "I can manage those fairly quickly. In fact, I can probably get them made here, and tonight."

Drelasa didn't _quite_ squeal but the noise she made was close enough. "And what will we shove Nevano in to wear? His armor won't work." She tapped her lo. "I can't feasibly get it off him to clean it properly without raising suspicion..."

"I don't look it, but I'm a more than passing good smith." Ravenlight leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she remembered what his armor looked like. "I can make him something new...and something practical as well, a suit he can wear into battle as well."

"Might fight him on that but..." Drelasa tapped her lip. "I have an idea. That armor of his isn't just leather. There's glass armor in it. Glass platelets. However that leather is...old and falling apart. If I can get it away from him, maybe you can remake his old armor."

"Oh, that would work, too!" Ravenlight grinned. "_And_ I have a ready-made excuse. Most of the Companions don't have armor that would be suitable for fighting vampires; I'll be wanting to head up to Solitude and work with the smith there to get them outfitted. I can insist on repairing his armor at the same time."

"I was going to up and steal it." Drelasa laughed. "I will if he gets stubborn."

"If you have to, do it." Ravenlight straightened with a laugh. "All right; I've got five Altmer down below who might be wanting something to eat, too, and a rather large number of warriors to get situated without an explosion. We'll talk about this again later this afternoon...see what else we can figure out to get done without their realizing it!"

"Oh please, Nevano won't notice a thing." Drelasa laughed. "See if they'll come sit at the table inside and I'll bring the food in to them."

Ravenlight nodded and headed off.

* * *

(**So...another feisty Altmer surgeon, romantic plotting...things are starting to pick up steam. As always, let me know what you think. Love hearing from you guys!)**


	19. New Information, New Allies

**(So...apparently there's been some confusion on the timeline, which may be my fault, as I haven't said anything. So, keeping in mind that there is some time slippage between Faerun and Tamriel, it has been seven years since the end of 'Dungeons and Dragonborn', one year since the events of 'Rising from the Ashes', and about a year, give or take, since the end of 'Hero' and the events of the following trilogy. (However Salvatore plans to end it after that _jaw-dropping_ cliffhanger at the end of _Boundless_, which, in my not-so-humble opinion, needs a pretty strong resolution!) So certain characters that will be brought across are actually canon to the story, and circumstances surrounding them can be discovered in the books.)**

* * *

**New Information, New Allies**

Ravenlight had noticed earlier that Drizzt had disappeared about the same time as Aela; but she hadn't thought much about it, as Drizzt did tend to vanish when Aela came around, and the werewolf took a sort of...perverse enjoyment in looking for him. As it turned out, he hadn't so much gone and hid...as found someone to talk to. She heard the quiet voices from below as she walked toward the trapdoor; when she opened it, and started down, she found Drizzt, seated across from Gyrmallion, the two deep in conversation.

In truth, she couldn't say she was surprised. If anybody in the world understood trying to start fresh after a series of bad decisions...or simply after belonging to a faction that the entire world hated...it was Drizzt. And while Gyrmallion was doing most of-if not all-the talking for the Altmer, all of the warriors were listening intently to what was being said.

* * *

Drelasa hummed as she got several bowls filled with stew and a side of roasted venison for the Altmer. With a quick nod she got some bread out. They could use the bit extra and by now their bodies would be working again. Fortunately they hadn't been starved long. Their biggest thing had been the lack of water.

Either or, it wasn't among her ways of wanting someone to die, foe or not.

* * *

Ravenlight didn't really want to interrupt; but they did need to eat. She rapped on the trapdoor, the sound catching their attention. "There's food," she said, once they'd turned toward her. "Roast venison, and horker stew. Figured you'd feeling strong enough by now to come and eat upstairs."

Gyrmallion hesitated. "There won't be trouble if we come up?"

She shook her head. "The Companions probably won't come in the house; they're setting up camp outside. And most of the others are out right now, too. If they do find out..." She shrugged. "Might as well learn now, really. Don't worry; there won't be trouble. Come on up."

Nerevar's words from the other night were nigh audible. '_The world will watch you. What you do will ring for generations.'_

It took some courage for Gyrmallion to take hold of the ladder and climb out of the security of the cellar; but he did. And the others followed.

* * *

Drelasa motioned at the table. "Oh good. Darn pot is heavy and I'm too old to be going up and down ladders with my arms full. Not hot now I'm afraid but it's plenty warm enough."

They seated themselves, almost gingerly, and looking a little dazed as she bustled about. Ravenlight helped, smirking at their reaction: there was none of the haughtiness she typically expected from Altmer from them. Of course, being suddenly arrested and then chained out as vampire bait had probably shaken their worldview more than a little...not to mention being rescued by someone they knew had no reason to even _like_ their kind. She wondered how many of them were silently waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Well? You can eat. Dig in. She might be the Dragonborn but we aren't dining with the queen here. I like manners but I don't require that level of etiquette." Drelasa encouraged. "Even I get sick of that level of pretend. Though..." she paused thoughtfully. "I think in Skyrim it's be easier. In Morrowind I wouldn't _touch_ anything that viper put out. Well, not Felsi. She's not entirely evil. Her _mother_ is a terrifying witch. Don't think I need to tell you lot that. Summerset had her longer. Rather wish she had stayed..."

One of them suddenly laughed. "That's right, I remember...you apologized, as a Dunmer, for Morgiah." He relaxed, smiling a little. "I-yes, this is a much...less perilous setting."

"She's a bitch." Drelasa said flatly.

"Yes, she is." Gyrmallion shook his head. "And...as irritating as she was to deal with in Summerset, I can't imagine how awful she is now that she's at the top of the heap in Morrowind."

"Oh, come now," Ravenlight scolded lightly. "Don't call her that; if half of what I've heard is true, it's an insult to all honest hounds and wolves everywhere."

"It...honestly is. She's worse than her brother and _he_ pulled off the worst heinous act I can think of." Drelasa said. "Morrowind is back in political uproar. We lasted a year."

"Don't look to Skyrim," muttered Ravenlight, pulling out some bottles of spiced wine and filling their glasses. "The only reason a conflict just as bad as the Civil War hasn't broken out again is because none of the growling Jarls want to take the risk that I won't be on their side. Ulfric dying in battle against the Dragonborn makes for a more...storied ending than being arrested again and then executed...but the end result is the same, and none of them particularly want _their_ story to end that way."

"We're just seeing who has enough money to buy out the Morag Tong...until she irritates the wrong person." Drelasa said.

From the grimace Gyrmallion and Drizzt exchanged, Ravenlight guessed that they had discussed the prevalence of assassinations in their respective societies; and were not particularly fond of it.

"I didn't say I liked them." Drelasa said. "They're there, they're legal...had to send a few back in a box..."

Ravenlight shrugged. "As someone who wiped out the Dark Brotherhood after they made the mistake of attempting to recruit me, I should probably keep my opinions on assassin guilds to myself."

"As unfortunate as it may sound...they actually help keep Morrowind on steadier ground." Drelasa held up a hand. "Hear me out. It's legal, therefore we can keep watch on them. They are easy to see, they have rules they have to follow or else we can move against them. They can't just kill whoever whenever. It's not ideal, not by a long shot but...it's far better than driving it underground and lawless. That and it keeps the nobles and the royals occupied with each other and not making life even more difficult for those who work for a living. In a way...they protect the majority of the population." Drelasa sighed.

"I've seen some...similar situations," Drizzt muttered.

"And I'm working with the new head of the Thieves' Guild down in Riften," Ravenlight agreed. "So...I suppose I shouldn't grumble too much."

"Sometimes, you have to pick the lesser of evils." Drelasa said. "That and I have three Armigers in the ranks so I'll know the instant the guild in Blacklight slips up. And they are terrified of Modyn. I almost forgot that bit."

"Modyn..." Elealda pursed her lips a little. "Is that the name of that young man who'd gotten himself torn open all the way across the front of his body but was still walking this morning? If so, I understand why they're afraid of him."

"My son, yes." Drelasa said. "That's not the worst he's limped home with. Not even the top five. They tried to kill him but he not only killed them first...he stormed the guild hall and Blacklight heard Boethiah laugh as he left scorch marks in place of Mephala's."

"Indeed." Elealda gave Gyrmallion a gimlet glare. "I might need details on these times...could use them to shut up some people whining while I'm trying to piece their _rib cages_ back together after they didn't get out of the way of an infuriated berserker."

"Modyn actually does a decent job _not_ getting hurt." Drelasa admitted. "When he does, it's memorable. The problem one is Nevano. I've pieced that mouthy little ass back together so many times I don't think there's a bone in his body I _haven't_ manipulated in some way."

"That I can't top," Elealda agreed. "I've had to mend every part of the body, but I haven't yet had to do it on one single person." She paused. "By the way, this is all excellent. I have no idea how you did this, and I watched you make it. My sincerest compliments."

"Thank you but Ravenlight is just about better than I am. Those crostatas she makes I fairly certain will land her marriage proposals." Drelasa smiled. "And you can write an entire book on healing with what Nevano brings home."

"Might have to keep a close eye on him, then," Elealda mused, pretending not to notice the quickly-stifled flash of pain in Ravenlight's eyes at the mention of marriage proposals. "It can be useful to have an...odd case around; the practice helps in the small chance that you will have to deal with the same thing in someone else in the future."

Drelasa clapped a hand over her mouth, then rounded on Ravenlight. "I'm so sorry, sweet child. That was thoughtless and cruel of me. We had been talking so much about it, it slipped right out. I'm so sorry."

"It's all right." Ravenlight didn't smile, but her eyes grew wistful. "I'd never...brought him up with you, except in passing." She paused. "I saw him again. In Sovngarde, so it doesn't...hurt _as_ much...but..."

"You will always miss them." Drelasa said. "They have a piece of you and you aren't sure whether to hate them for it or scream to the winds your love for them."

"It's protected me before, actually," Ravenlight said. "Drove me half-mad when I lost him, but...protected me more than once at the same time." She drew in a deep breath. "Conversation best saved for another time...I honestly can't believe you didn't ask me to clarify about Sovngarde."

"I figured I would get the full story later and the wild stories of what you did have pretty much covered all of Tamriel by now, darling." Drelasa said and looked back over at Elealda. "To go back to the previous point...Nevano isn't just an odd case. He gave me _very_ good practice on the nastiest bite I have ever seen. There is just one problem with using him as a case study."

"What sort of bite?" Elealda cocked her head.

"Probably Dagoth Ur, if I remember correctly," Ravenlight said. "We were...not quite _comparing_ scars, but it was close. He showed me the one where he'd been bitten."

"Dagoth Ur. One final parting shot before he was killed...supposedly." Drelasa said. "I managed to get just enough flesh back to repair the tendons so he could use his left arm again. Far too close to that big vein for comfort. The good news, and the problem I mentioned earlier, was that there was no infection because he is protected from that."

"He'll probably thank for you mentioning that if I ever have to piece him back together," Elealda mused. "Stopping infection is one of the most vital things for any healer or surgeon; even with a good strong healing potion in the works, there's never any telling whether or not something's going to start festering again, and then-while we _can_ usually clean it out-it's a far worse mess than it had been originally."

"No infections, no diseases and no illnesses." Drelasa said. "Makes piecing him back together much easier. Unfortunately, my son picked up the slack."

"It always seems to happen that way," Elealda sighed, picking up her wine glass. "You have one person who abuses his arms all the time, but his legs and torso are fine. Then you get one who cuts, scrapes, breaks, and otherwise abuses his legs, to the point that you can't believe he can still _walk_, but somehow rarely if ever damages his arms. And then you have one who never seems to _block_ any incoming injury, and as a result, his torso is a mass of scars, and you're fairly sure if Death is on personal speaking terms with him because of how often you weren't sure he's going to pull through this time."

"Poisoned spear through the kidney..." Drelasa growled. "In the middle of nowhere. I got to see it a week after initial injury. Little to no care to it."

"Oh, I can top that, and with Nevano," Ravenlight said dryly. "Lich taint in his bloodstream, to the point that the veins in his arm were _black_. Serana said she'd never felt anything that horrendous before. It had been a _year_ since he'd fought the blasted lich."

"I feel we almost need to take him out of any competition because he is his own category." Drelasa sighed. "That one was a double hit because he had a damn heart attack on the way home!"

"Lich poison _and_ a heart attack?" She shook her head. "That is..."

"More trouble than an infected wound?" Gyrmallion muttered, almost petulantly.

Elealda thumped him on top of the head. "He had _five ribs_ broken from that sword stroke, it was a miracle she missed anything vital beneath them, and on top of that, he landed face-down on the stone in a place called the _Ratways_, and you can probably imagine how nasty that was! Developed a _raging_ infection and fever, it was touch and go for nearly two weeks, and I had to clean out the wound twice a day to keep him alive!" She looked over at Drelasa. "Admittedly, it isn't lich poison and a heart attack on top of that...but even so!"

"Picking up an infection in a place called the Ratways..." Drelasa made a face. "I think I got one that might make you feel better. Werewolf attack. Massive, old and very nasty. Nearly took a leg off but settled for shredding flesh from above the hip almost to the knee. Utterly destroying the armor. Bad, but not irreparable. Problem arose when I was called in _nearly two weeks_ after it happened. The idiot, so-called healer there had _cauterized_ the wound without fully clearing debris from the wound. By the time I got there, he was alive, somehow, but unconscious and the infection was..._bad_ is not quite the term I'd use. Had to recut the whole thing. Such a mess."

"Sounds like it. Dear heaven." Ravenlight arched an eyebrow at Gyrmallion. "Picked up a severe injury in the Ratways, huh? Dare I ask when that happened or why Thalmor were down there?"

"Crossed paths a time or two, have you?" Drelasa asked.

"Twice before, actually," Gyrmallion said without heat. "Both times, it was either luck or the favor of the Divines that I survived. Elenwen's party-" He traced the scar on his face, "you just missed my eye. Nailed me to the wall by the helmet. And Elealda, before you start in on her for the Ratways, please remember that the others down there came out very, very _dead_."

Ravenlight's eyes narrowed, then she nodded. "You were the one who got past me and had the sword to Esbern's throat. Barely remembered it at the time." She leaned back. "So you survived that. Tougher than you look, I've got to say."

"Interesting." Drelasa said. "I suppose Nerevar had a point."

"You know what he came down and said that night?" Gyrmallion looked both interested and surprised.

"I know he came to you. Nothing else would have compelled Nevano to go to you himself." Drelasa said. "I can guess what he said though. I've spoken to Nerevar on quite a few occasions, usually when he's helping keep Nevano alive. Nerevar, out of everyone in that era, was quite the peacekeeper, one who looked for the better qualities in a being, rather than how useful they were. It was what created a friendship between him and the Dwemer king...and what broke him utterly when it all fell apart. He sees where he failed but it didn't change him, other than giving him an irrational hatred of anything to do with the Tribunal. The Thalmor may have messed up, but he wanted to know _you_, oh one who does not think like the ones we just punted across our borders. He might be long dead and sharing space with another living being, but his insight is very accurate."

"I knew of the Nerevarine," Gyrmallion said slowly, "but not of Nerevar. And I really hadn't considered before how...strange it would be that the person who'd missed killing me twice before and by the narrowest of margins would later be the one who, unasked, came and saved my life and my men's, after those I'd thought my allies turned on me. There probably is a path the Divines...laid out for us." He shrugged. "I'm not going to pretend I understand where to _begin_ to walk that path, but...I won't deny it's there."

"You know..." Drelasa tapped her fingers. "The biggest heroes and champions that Tamriel has ever seen have all...come from captivity. Barenziah sprung an unnamed hero from prison to stop Jagar Tharn, Nevano was falsely imprisoned, the Champion of Cyrodiil was also in prison and Ravenlight found herself...on the wrong end of things in Helgen. You were imprisoned by your own kind and left out as vampire bait. What more signs do you need that you are destined to do something great? What that is, I don't know. I do know that you can choose what that will be."

Gyrmallion nearly fell off the bench, his eyes widening with stunned astonishment. The others exchanged surprised looks and some breathless laughs. Ravenlight grinned broadly.

"And you know, you'll have an advantage that most of us didn't have: while you might not have a previous hero there to help you do...whatever it is you're supposed to do, _I_ at least am more than willing to help you get there."

Drelasa leaned in. "Ask for Nerevar. Nevano is...difficult."

"I..." Gyrmallion looked as though he was considering the wording. "Noticed."

Drelasa gave him a sympathetic smile. "He's an acquired taste."

"Easier than some people I've encountered, too." Ravenlight sighed. "I'm thinking we _will_ have to stop in Valenwood; getting Rangers to help against the vampires will be _extremely_ helpful. And there is no way I can think of to keep Sparrowwing from tagging along."

Drelasa laughed. "Is there a province we are missing?"

"Black Marsh? I don't know of any Argonian contacts I have. But I _do_ know a number of Orsimer, and may be able to use their names to help bring the Orcs to the cause, too." Ravenlight laughed. "I _might_ have to let someone else handle the Khajiit."

Drelasa groaned. "I'm not sure the Argonians are talking to _anyone_. And they might have some not nice things to say if you are talking to us, unfortunately. I'm sorry, my dear. We are called _dun_ for a reason. As for the Khajiit..." She looked over to the Altmer.

Gyrmallion shrugged. "I lived in Elsweyr once; but unfortunately, any friends or contacts I might have had disappeared or died after my hometown was destroyed." He looked at the others, receiving similar shrugs and head-shakes.

"Hmm...anyway you can fake it?" she asked.

Gyrmallion considered. "I...might be able to try," he said at last. "My...wife...was friends with a group of Khajiit traders. I remember their names, and their clan; I _might_ be able to make contact with some friends of theirs that way."

"It's worth a shot." Drelasa said.

"We can stop by Elsweyr after getting the Legions in Cyrodil," Ravenlight said. "It's a long shot-but I've seen plenty of those pay off, so I'm not going to discourage it."

A sudden _crash_ from outside made them all jump, and Ravenlight growled. "I _just_ now realized that we've got your troublemakers outside with the _Companions_, and neither of us is out there to keep the peace. I might be stretching a new hide across the frames downstairs in a few minutes..."

"For Azura's sake! Can they go for more than a few moments without being in trouble?!" Drelasa was finally at the end of her patience with the nonsense. Thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

"After this, maybe." Ravenlight stalked toward the doors. "Let's go see who it is we need to chastise, here..."

Drelasa stormed after her.

* * *

The Dunmer that belonged to Drelasa took one look at the clouds gathering overhead suddenly and made themselves scarce as if by magic, Nevusa grabbing Farkas as she ran by. "Hurry! This isn't a storm you want to be caught in!"

The Companions who'd been gathered around the pair of combatants, cheering, jeering, and largely egging them on, suddenly realized that the course of their fight had knocked over a woodpile _and_ Ravenlight's workbench, scattering tools across a fair area. They did not understand the significance of the gathering clouds...but it suddenly occurred to every one of them that perhaps this had not been the best place to encourage a brawl.

The fighters, a Nord woman and a Dunmer man, were suddenly left very much out in the open, confronted by a pair of women who did not look at _all_ happy with what was going on. Thunder shook the air as they stormed over, the clouds overhead turning black.

"You two," Ravenlight growled, "can't even go a _single day_ without finding something stupid to fight over?"

Njada and Athis looked at each other, then at her, and tried to back away.

Drelasa stormed over, her face even more thunderous than the clouds. "This isn't the first, second, or even _third_ time today but you _certainly_ heard about the last few times to behave. How hard is it to follow orders?!" She grabbed them both by an ear, not being gentle in the slightest. "_Mighi shoduru'ag s'wits!_ This area will be _spotless_ or I will have your ears to give to the Ashlander witch that agreed to help us! _Am. I. Clear?_" Her words were punctuated by another crack of thunder.

There was no help to be had from Ravenlight, either. In fact, her glare made it clear she would probably help Drelasa remove the offending ears if they didn't straighten up.

Her own children had fled into the safety of the swamp, such as it was. It should have been a huge tip off when they felt such a dangerous place was safer to be in. "Well?" Drelasa growled, twisting ears a little.

"Yes! Yes ma'am!" the pair babbled. It was not clear who they were more terrified of: their highly annoyed Harbinger, or her furious and unexpected ally.

Drelasa tossed them into the dirt. "Spotless. Even the _goat_ better shine."

The goat, for her part, looked up in alarm with an explosive snort.

Ravenlight gave them a humorless grin. "There's a curry brush in the stable. You can use that."

"Spot. Less." Drelasa growled.

Ravenlight turned toward the camp, where several nervous eyes could be seen peeking from tents. "This is not Jorrvaskr! I have neither the time, nor the patience to deal with a hundred brawls! So behave, or by Talos, this will be the _mildest_ punishment doled out until we're on the march! _Do you understand?!_"

Lightning struck nearby to drive the point home. There was an immediate shout of assent on all sides.

"Good." Drelasa glared out into the swamp. "Where are my spawn?"

"Took off for the marsh when you came out," Vilkas offered weakly. "The girl hauled Farkas with her."

"Smart." Drelasa murmured. "But enough of that." Lightning cracked overhead. A clear signal of 'get home now'.

* * *

Astonishingly enough, the first to arrive were not the ones from the marsh, but Nevano and Serana, racing up from the beach...and still hand-in-hand.

Drelasa blinked, the clouds breaking up a little. "Really now?"

"We were coming back anyway!" Serana said. She wasn't out of breath, though Nevano certainly was.

"Though I appreciate the prompt response, I was signaling those that ran in the opposite direction." Drelasa glared at the swamp. "If two of them rip their stitches..."

"Min is probably not likely to, unless he runs into a tree," Ravenlight said. "Veleth, on the other hand..." She turned, pinning the two miscreants with a glare. "You two are _not_ out of trouble. Get moving. Now."

"Now that you said it...a tree branch just grew of nowhere." Drelasa grunted. "Idiots, the lot of them. They were part of this or else they wouldn't have run."

"It wouldn't have had to. There are plenty of trees in the swamp, dead and otherwise." Ravenlight stepped forward a little, peering into the gloom. "There they are. And-ach. Farkas has somebody over his shoulder."

As it turned out, though, it wasn't Min.

It was Zeb.

"He wasn't watching where he was going," Nevusa explained, exasperated, "and he ran full-tilt into a dead tree branch. I don't think _he'll_ need stitches...but he knocked himself out."

Drelasa facepalmed. "Azura save us..."

"I wonder what it says about our allies that, currently, the one group we _haven't_ had to scream at to behave is the one we would have both happily tried to kill less than a week ago," Ravenlight sighed.

"Give it time. It'll switch." Drelasa sighed. "Where's Min and Modyn?"

"Right behind us," Farkas answered.

Drelasa leaned sideways to look. "Or were..."

Nevano sighed. "I'll go look for them. No need for them to get halfway to Hammerfell."

"Want my wayfinder compass?" Ravenlight asked. "It can lead to an individual, if need be."

"Hold on to it in case you need to find _me_." Nevano grinned at her. "Twins can hide. Bull is aptly named. I'll be back shortly."

"If I need to find you, I'll ask Serana," Ravenlight muttered; but the side of her mouth quirked up for the first time in a while.

"What?" He half-turned.

"Nothing!" Drelasa shooed him. "Go find the boys before they sink under the mud."

Nevano tilted his head like a confused dog but continued on.

"That armor will be filthy when he gets back." Drelasa said.

"It will," Ravenlight agreed, a slow smirk growing. "It will indeed."

"Can't have that, can we?"

The two women exchanged a conspirator's grin that had the others blinking in confusion.

* * *

Nevano returned an hour later, covered in mud and looking highly annoyed, as did the other two. Veleth had popped several stitches, though the magic holding it prevented it from bleeding too much.

"For once...a twin didn't cause issues." Nevano said. "But there might be problems. We fixed this one but it's...ugh, I knew there would be loopholes."

"Loopholes as in...what?" Ravenlight came downstairs, signaling for someone behind her to stay where they were.

"Okay, well, the Oblivion Crisis." Nevano let Trueflame and Hopesfire flare brightly, burning off the swamp muck that covered them. "End conclusion is that no Daedra Lord can invade Tamriel again. Not all at once anyway. But there's no foolproof way of stopping them. I couldn't figure out how so many of Molag Bal's minions were stomping around but Veleth tipped me off a bit early this morning and what we saw confirmed it. He's got people summoning them in one at a time. We got them scared off and got to kill two daedroth-we brought you the teeth by the way-but they are bypassing seals."

"He sent one of those demon children at us as a warning. Like he wants us to see what he's doing." Veleth said. "Very bold, even for a daedra."

"Very bold. And possibly an attempt to make us give up before we even start to fight." Ravenlight's eyes darkened. "Well. It's not going to work. And there are _plenty_ of other Daedra to ask for help here."

"At this point, what he's doing is enough to anger even Dagon and Malacath. Malacath is a good one because the orc tribes will be more than happy to fight then." Veleth said. "This could be interesting. How to unite forces that represent chaos..."

"Ugh, I almost don't want to ask." Ravenlight exhaled, toying with her pendant. "All right, I was planning to do this anyway, but if Bal's going that far, we need all the allies we can get. I'm going to go talk to Drizzt; then I'm going through and bringing his wife here. Catti-Brie is _incredibly_ powerful, and she's been more than tested against demons lately."

"The more the better." Nevano nodded. "Wish I knew more groups but all I knew are dead or on their way."

Ravenlight walked past, looking for her brother. Nevano nudged the other two. They needed to clean up.

* * *

Ravenlight found Drizzt, as she'd half-expected, once again back talking with Gyrmallion. The Altmer were making themselves scarce, but had not yet gone back to the cellar; Drizzt and Gyrmallion sounded as though they were discussing battle tactics. She suspected it wouldn't be long before the two of them were finding a good place to spar with each other. She rapped on the wall, letting them know she was there.

They turned to look at her at once, Drizzt with a little smile on his face. "Get everything straightened out with the Companions and all?"

"Nevano found Veleth and Min," she answered. "We've got a big problem: Bal's found a way around the ban from the Oblivion Crisis. He's sending his creatures onto this plan, one and two at a time, through mortal conjurers."

Gyrmaillion's eyes widened, and he shot to his feet. "Mortal-that explains it. I'd been wondering why on earth I'd seen so many agents placed in mage academies and guilds, and why their orders were to find conjuration mages."

Drelasa came over, her face hard. "Unfortunately, Molag Bal has no shortage of worshippers. Between them and the ones you say were given conjuration training...Azura save us, we are looking at a second Oblivion Crisis!"

"And possibly not a single, concentrated one, either." Gyrmallion glanced around. "What most people don't know about the Thalmor is that, after Naarifen was defeated and hung from the White-Gold Tower, the power base behind the Aldmeri Dominion was split into three. Cousins, I think, from the two remaining high houses: Falcve and Rumalashorn Taromoth, and Sirinalda Aldthar. They were Naarifen's closest confidants, and they're currently the leaders of the High Council. And they do _not_ get along."

He started to pace. "Rumalashorn is the most dangerous. He was Naarifen's right hand, and I _strongly_ suspect the one who encouraged the purges in Valenwood, and the attempted Culling in the Imperial City. If anyone in the Aldmeri Dominion would be actively working _with_ Bal, it would be him. Falcve fights with his cousin constantly: he's the one who's interested in the relics, but he hates both the Daedra and the Divines. I believe he wants to try to break us free of them: I know he sent a team to Vvardenfell about a year ago, and he was behind the expedition to High Rock."

"And Sirinalda?" Drelasa asked.

Tellindil grunted. "You apologized, as a Dunmer, for Morgiah. _We'd_ apologize, as Altmer, for Sirinalda, only she hasn't left Alinor and most of the world doesn't know she exists."

Gyrmallion nodded in agreement. "She's a power-hungry harpy. She gets along-sometimes-with Falcve, because she has a taste for unusual relics, but she absolutely _hates_ Rumalashorn. The orders for the names of conjuration mages came from both Rumalashorn and Sirinalda. And I wouldn't put it past her to make bargains with the Daedric princes who despise Molag Bal to start bringing _their_ minions through the same way, just to throw a spanner in Rumal's might not be a bad thing, except she has absolutely _no_ concern whatsoever for anyone who might be caught in the middle. Rumalashorn is a monster, and Falcve a vicious schemer. Sirinalda is worse, because she simply _does not care_."

Drelasa thought quickly. "There are seventeen Daedric Princes in total...Molag Bal is the one trying to usurp, two are considered one, four are most inclined to help us. That leaves Clavicus Vile, Hermaeus Mora, Hircine, Malacath, Dagon, Namira, Nocturnal, Peryite, Sanguine, Sheogorath and Vaermina. Vaermina we just cowed a bit, but the others are not exactly pleasant. Which would they most likely make bargains with?"

"Hircine is too uncouth for her tastes, and even _she's_ not foolish enough to expect anything to come from a deal with Clavicus Vile. Malacath...probably not. The ones she'd be most interested in are Nocturnal, Hermaeus Mora, Dagon, and possibly Sanguine, since she..." The Altmer grimaced in unison, "has tastes that...conform to his." Gyrmallion sighed. "And while _she_ is unlikely to have anything to do with Sheogorath, some of her subordinates are...willing to nod in his direction. He rewards creativity as well as madness, after all."

"We do not have time to appeal to all of them, indeed some would toy with us for our trouble." Drelasa said. "I have...one idea we could do. I do not know if it will work; indeed, I do not know _how_ to go about this but there is one out there who will stand against all the daedra."

"Who would that be?" Ravenlight looked bleak. "We might not have a choice."

"Funny how mentioning him a few times and suddenly it's an idea." Drelasa muttered. "The Black Knight. Ebonarm. The God of War and of all warriors and protectors. A lesser god, to be sure, but not lacking in power. I just know very little about him and even less how to appeal to him."

Ravenlight pursed her lips, running a finger over her breastbone. "I'll look into what might be possible," she said. "Being the Daughter of Akatosh may or may not be helpful here...but I _might_ be able to at least find out how to appeal to him." She looked at Drizzt. "And Catti-Brie just might be able to help with that. I've been thinking of bringing her through for a few days now: I'm pretty sure it's going to be necessary now."

Drizzt nodded. "I've been thinking that, too. I know Mielikki doesn't interact in this plane; but Kynareth was more than happy to take up her place the first time. Will you need me to open the portal?"

She nodded. "Yes. I don't know how long they'll be here."

"While you two do that..." Drelasa looked over at the Altmer surgeon. "I'm afraid we might need you to touch up a mer or two..."

Elealda groaned. "Let me guess...broken stitches?"

"I should have suggested using wire instead of silk."

"I've contemplated that a time or two myself." She looked at Ravenlight. "I'm sorry, I appear to be going through your sewing supplies at a...far greater rate than I intended at first."

Ravenlight laughed. "Sewing silk is expensive..._spider_ silk, on the other hand, is not, and I know of several frostbite spider lairs not far from here. If this gets out of hand, we'll go looking for supplies. You can wind up all the silk you need while I thin out the spiders." She sighed. "In fact, I might _need_ to do that, just to blow off some steam. Come on, _uhiel_, let's go fetch your family."

Drelasa watched them take off. "I owe that girl far more than I can ever repay." She murmured. "Come. Let's go round up the idiots. One of them crashed into a tree."

"Hmmm...that sounds familiar. Hopefully _he_ didn't break anything but his skin doing so." Elealda followed Drelasa, ignoring the irritated mutter of, "I was _twelve_," from behind her.

Drelasa smirked as she walked out the door.

"I know some folk who claim the gods are cruel and uncaring, if they are there at all," Elealda remarked. "However, those of us with sons, brothers, and male cousins would likely argue that if that was the case, well over half of every race in the world would not make it out of adolescence. Mer are no different from Men in that regard, and I can't imagine that the beastfolk are _that_ much different."

"In many instances, we are all very similar, mortal and immortal alike." Drelasa said. "All of us children, set loose and abandoned on this plane. Depending on what you believe that is."

"Abandoned...or simply run wild." Elealda shrugged. "But I would argue there has to be at least some caring hand that will set us back upright and stitch up our injuries after we run smack into trees. No matter how much we dislike getting the stitches. Metaphorically or otherwise. And I hope yours realizes he's about to get some more...and hasn't tried to slink off to avoid them."

"That depends on what steps in to take that empty place." Drelasa said. "He more than likely knows and he knows better. Or he ought to, I should say."

* * *

In the meantime, Ravenlight and Drizzt had gone to the top loft of the alchemy tower: it was somewhat exposed, but one of the few places they could be sure wouldn't be disturbed. Ravenlight swept the floor clean of a few leaves and stray feathers that had collected up there. Drizzt closed his eyes and concentrated, holding his pendant in his hands. Then he swept his fingers across its scintillating blue surface. It blazed up in response, and a glowing blue portal flickered into existence in front of them.

They exchanged a look and a nod, and then Ravenlight stepped through.

* * *

Veleth gotten cleaned up in a remarkable amount of time but had gotten his armor and weapon out. Any thoughts of letting his injury rest until they left were out with this new threat rising. He didn't put it all on right away though. He wasn't going to be so naïve as to think that he wasn't going to get restitched. Fortunately, as he inspected the massive wound, he hadn't popped _too_ many. Just the ones closest to his arm and hip when he had twisted away from a daedroth trying to bite him.

Elealda appeared a few moments later, the sewing box under her arm. "All right, let me see what you've done to yourself," she said, setting the box down and opening it up. "Hmm..." She examined the injury. "Not as bad as I was afraid of. This will just take a few minutes to repair, and you didn't get anything nasty in the places you reopened." She pulled out the needle and threaded it. "What about the one who hit a tree, how bad is he?"

"I think I'm down to two birds now..." Zeb groaned.

"It doesn't look too bad," Nevusa offered. "We were able to get the bleeding stopped...but it's still...kind of big?"

Elealda sighed. "I'll take a look once I'm through with him. Hopefully, it'll just need a Restoration spell."

"Only two birds chirping at him." Veleth snorted. "He's fine."

"Probably not a concussion, then." Elealda measured the space between the broken stitches and inserted the needle. "Which is a good thing, because I don't think he'd be able to take that kind of brain-scrambling."

"What brain?" Veleth muttered.

* * *

As she was tying off the last stitch over Zeb's eye, in red thread this time, the stairs creaked, and the Dunmer looked up to see Ravenlight and Drizzt coming down the stairs. With them were two others. One was a Dark Elf remarkably similar to Drizzt, though with a squarer face and heavier build. He was looking around with suspicious curiosity. The other was a stunning human woman wearing a white, layered, lacy dress bound with a black sash. Her auburn hair flowed around her face and shoulders. She carried a long staff in one hand...and a small, cooing bundle in the other.

"Everyone," Ravenlight said, "May I introduce Zaknafein Do'Urden, and Catti-Brie."

"You are the ones we've heard so much about." Drelasa smiled warmly. "The pleasure is ours...as well as our gratitude since this isn't quite the situation under which I prefer meeting people but it is what brought us all together."

Zak glanced at them, clearly uncomfortable in his new surroundings. Catti-Brie, however, came down the stairs and answered Drelasa's smile. "I'm glad to meet you as well. She didn't have much time to explain, beyond that it was a situation that could threaten both worlds; she did say we'd have more allies than usual in this fight. And friends, as well." She shifted the little form slightly. "I don't know her quite as well as my husband does; but I've found she has very good judgement where friends are concerned."

Drelasa's face softened when she saw the infant. Babies made Dunmer silly fools. "Of the highest sort, considering she's had to put up with my family's strange antics."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nevano grinned. "We have been rather well-behaved."

"Somehow, I doubt you want the list," Ravenlight said dryly. "Zak, this way; I'll get you set up. Catti-Brie's been here before; I'll try to get you a little more...acclimatized before you meet the others."

"Please, _don't_ ask for the list, Nevano." Drelasa glared. "Between you and the twins..."

"And in just four days," Drizzt added wryly. He glanced over at Zak, receiving a half-smile and a nod from the older Drow before he turned and followed Ravenlight.

"Not even a record." Nevano said.

"Somehow, that doesn't make it better." Drizzt gently took the little form from Catti-Brie, unwrapping the blanket enough for the little face inside to peek out. "This is my daughter." He and Catti-Brie shared a fond glance. "Alustra."

The baby yawned and blinked wide, blue-violet eyes. Her skin was a dark gray; the fuzzy wisps of hair an almost silvery auburn.

"Now _that_ is the most adorable little face." Nevano instantly got a goofy grin. "Look at those pretty eyes. You, little one, are the cutest thing." She giggled, waving tiny fists. "Yes, you will have full grown, grumpy, crusty soldiers falling over themselves and you know it." Nevano grinned wider.

"She already does," Catti-Brie laughed. "You should see her grandfathers."

"I do not doubt that for a moment." Nevano snorted. "Kids have that magic ability. They keep some of it even when they get big and know how to wield it like a weapon."

"I can't see that as being entirely a bad thing," Catti-Brie said, "considering the trouble I've seen some children get into..."

"It never goes away." Nevano nodded seriously.

Catti-Brie eyed him, then glanced at Drelasa. "Hm. Speaking from experience there?"

"Yes. Yes he is." Drelasa gave Nevano a very fond glare. "Do not let his silvered tongue fool you in the slightest, this one is the most trouble out of them all. Twins a hot second and the rest vying for third."

"I will keep that in mind."

Drizzt laughed, earning an echoed laugh from his daughter. "He takes offense at being compared to Jarlaxle, though."

"Yeah I've heard your description of him." Nevano made a face. "That's not even a small no. "

Nevusa squealed and hurried over. "Look at her, she's _adorable_! Hey Bull! She's beating Dusty out in the adorable contest."

"You've already given my poor kid an unfortunate nickname and now you're throwing him under the cart?" Veleth said completely without venom, also completely melting in the presence of a tiny baby.

Catti-Brie laughed. "So she wasn't kidding. She told me you would all be excited to see the baby; I'll admit I only half-believed her."

"We don't see many among our kind." Nevusa said sadly, letting Alustra grab her fingers. "Veleth's son was the only one born in the past year."

"That would make a difference," Catti-Brie agreed, her eyes clouding for a moment with sympathy. "That would make...a huge difference."

"So anytime we see a child, Dunmer or not, we...turn into puffballs." Veleth admitted. "I think even General Garil would melt, especially if she blinks those pretty eyes at him."

Nevusa's eyes went wide. "You, little one, might be the _only_ thing that would crumble some of that crust. All of you will get to meet him and I guarantee you will hear him _long_ before you see him."

"Two minutes in and I already prefer Dunmer to Drow." Catti-Brie grinned at Drizzt as he raised an eyebrow at her. "_Most_ Drow, that is."

"Don't blame you there." Ravenlight reappeared. "Well, Gyrmallion and Zak have encountered each other, though I have informed both of them in _no_ uncertain terms that if that escalates beyond a staring contest, they will _wish_ it was Drelasa who got hold of them. And as I do not believe your father understood my explanation that Dunmer and Drow are different, and he has some rather...bad memories of powerful Drow females, that should keep him on good behavior for at least a day or two."

"From what you told us about Drow, all he has to do is watch us crash into each other in the dark." Veleth pointed out. "Since we don't see in the dark. At all. And the thought of pitting my mother against one of them...yeah, I don't want to imagine. Let's not think along those lines."

"No, I think he thought your mother _was_ one of them, and I will happily watch as she shows him she isn't." Ravenlight joined the crowd beaming down at her giggling niece, who was absolutely delighted to have all these friendly new faces gathered around. "So. Who wants to start explaining the full situation? I really just gave out the bare bones of it, mostly because I wasn't sure I was getting all the details right, especially concerning the Towers and all."

Nevusa and Nevano were quick to sacrifice Veleth, who, strangely enough, didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "Do you want the long version where I throw in all the stupid things Nevano did or the shortened version where you don't think he's a moron? And where should I start?" He scratched at the one of the new stitches by his shoulder.

"Start with the ruin," Ravenlight advised, "and...eh, let's go with long version, let her know what she's in for if she decides to help me try and ride herd on you lot." A movement caught her eye, and she turned. "Ah, there you three are. Been playing with the Companions?"

Lucia nodded. "Uh-huh. Oh! Auntie! And-" She turned into a blur, stopping just before she crashed into Drizzt. "Oh, you _brought_ her!"

"Long awaited guest, I take it?" Nevano asked.

"We've only ever seen her _once_," Lucia said, staring up at Drizzt wide-eyed, obviously begging without actually saying anything.

Ravenlight laughed. "All right, sit down and I'll get a pillow for you. And you can take turns."

Veleth glanced at Nevano. "You might get lucky. I won't make you out _too_ badly with the kids around."

Ravenlight got Lucia situated in a chair with a pillow to help prop her arm, then took Alustra from Drizzt-he handed her over with some reluctance-and then gently placed her in her daughter's arms. The older girl cooed down at the baby, who babbled back. Blaise did not _quite_ hover nearby; but Connlach placed himself right in front of them, staring with wide eyes at the goings-on.

Farkas, who was watching with what appeared to be equal parts fascination and terror, looked over the kids and laughed. "I don't think they'll hear." He grinned at Nevano mischievously. "_I_ will, though."

Nevano groaned dramatically. "Can't go anywhere or do anything without a critic!"

Veleth ignored Nevano's moaning. "I'm not sure how much you know about the pantheon we have here but I am...a bit closely connected to a Daedra Lord known as Boethiah. She ever so kindly decided to let me know something was wrong with a dream that lit a fire under my tail. Nevano was the first unlucky one I ran across that agreed to come along to High Rock with me. Honestly, I'm surprised it wasn't the other way around. Azura likes the dreams, not Boethiah."

"We found ourselves outside some ruins in northern High Rock, where some of our _favorite_ kin known as the Thalmor were busily digging. What we didn't know was that we weren't the only ones who had gotten the same feeling that something really wasn't right about these ruins. None of the gods bothered to let either party know. A part of me thinks they got some amusement out of that."

"To be fair," said Serana, coming down the stairs herself, "I don't think either the Aedra _or_ the Daedra had anything to do with why _I_ knew there was trouble there."

"More than fair." Veleth said. "Knowing what we know now, I think they were content to let it stay hidden. Unfortunately, no one has yet to learn a damn thing in that one cannot let evil objects sit and hope it rots away. It doesn't work like that and it _always_ reappears at some point."

From the look on Catti-Brie's face, she knew that sort of situation all too well herself. Nevano smiled at Serana as she came over, his eyes on her only.

Veleth chose not to comment on that, though he saw Ravenlight watching them. "Anyway, so we went about stopping the Thalmor from digging further. Both parties. At the exact same time. I'm fairly certain Ravenlight and Drizzt weren't expecting to see an arrow explode solid rock about as much as we weren't expecting to see an enormous black cat come flying out of nowhere. Things were going rather well, we managed to not hit each other and the Thalmor had just about gotten the message to get out...when that..._thing_ came crawling out of the ruins."

It was unusual to have Drizzt _and_ Ravenlight shudder at the same time, and her eyes widened as she noticed that. "It was that bad?"

"We went squelching through an entire _swamp_ of Netherese undead once," Ravenlight said grimly, "and nothing there even came _close_ to what came out of that ruin."

"Magic weapons, dragon shouts and demon fire were doing _nothing_." Veleth said. "I have never seen anything stand up like that to the rage beast when I let it loose. Even a Daedric Lord can't fully stop it. This thing did. It wasn't until Ravenlight did that one rather nasty shout we were able to finally kill it. Of course, she nearly killed Nevano in the process which, strike one against him, he didn't back up when she said to. The shout probably wouldn't have affected him so bad except he carries two souls in him. He now knows to run when Ravenlight tells him to."

"Two souls?" Catti-Brie looked surprised. "I know about Ravenlight's...unusual situation. But I was under the impression it was unique."

"It is." Nevano said. "She carries the soul of a dragon. I carry the soul of..." Nevano was cut off as he shuddered, his head twitching. His eyes flared gold.

"I know that look. Now I can formally introduce Lord Indoril Nerevar. The former Chimer king of Resdayn. Which is now known as Morrowind. Reborn through Nevano. While they get along, it is funny watching Nevano suddenly get irritated and argue with what seems like nothing in a language no one speaks anymore." Veleth said.

"I...see." It was doubtful she actually did, but...well, she'd probably seen some things that were _considerably_ stranger.

Nevano's entire demeanor changed. He inclined his head politely to her, saying something in a language that was smoother than Dunmeri, almost impossible to form easily with an untrained tongue.

"I don't know a word in Chimeri but I feel safe in saying that was a rather formal greeting." Veleth said.

Nevano twitched again. "I _hate_ when he does that!"

"Hey, at least Nerevar is human," Ravenlight said dryly. "When the Dov does that to _me_, it's...well..."

"Want to swap?" Nevano said. "You'll want to give him back after a week of 'inspirational' speeches. He _was_ a king. Those speeches go on forever."

"You apparently need a few more." Veleth waved at him to hush. "Especially since you didn't back up and nearly got him booted out of your head for a second time. The four of us made it to a cave where, after saving Nevano's ever so grateful hide, we discussed each other's reasons for being there. Turns out there's something called the Armor of Wrath in those ruins. Armor that embodies all the rage, hate and everything else from the first vampire. And the thing we fought? A young thrall. A _young_ one. We hadn't even gotten to stronger ones yet! That is just a bit over our heads, even as strong as we are. We made rough plans to gather some that could help but before we could get going, the storm that had gone over us brought a nasty surprise; vampires. So we had to flee and quick."

"And not _just_ vampires," Drizzt interjected, "nearly a dozen _clans_. That's a few more than even Auri-El's bow can handle."

"We were chased by a wave of them. Fortunately for us, it was around dawn, so Nevano could appeal to Azura to stop them long enough that we could get away. On a skeleton horse because there were not enough undead for one day." Veleth made a face. "We ended up at a small village. Seemed small and innocent enough but it was quickly obvious it was _not_. There were no local guards, Thalmor everywhere and, wonders never cease, the mark of the Buoyant Armigers, Morrowind's spy network. Poor little town was in an espionage warzone and now in direct line of vampires."

"Skeletal horse..." She glanced over at Ravenlight with a smile. "Arvak, I take it?"

"Mmm-hm." Ravenlight grinned. "He looked just as happy about riding him as Wulfgar did that one time."

"I'm not fond of undead." Veleth said flatly, glaring when Nevano started laughing. "If you bring up the mummy thing I swear you will be hanging upside down from a tree outside!"

"Oh, and _I_ can help with that!" Ravenlight's grin was not exactly reassuring to the Dunmer. "Picked up a few tricks watching my _other_ brothers deal with Sparrowwing!"

"You do the knots, I'll get the rope." Veleth growled. "And he's considering it greatly."

"Look, it was a _hilarious_ moment in a rather tense situation." Nevano bit his lip to stop from laughing. "At your expense unfortunately but it opened to the door to our most… uhh… interesting ally?"

Veleth groaned. "So after we got in contact with the Armiger, which I screwed up and let the rage get the better of me and the Armiger was handy in shutting that down, Nevano got his next strike and got picked up by a Mute. Mutes are the Thalmor's version of spies. They are also assassins, torturers and all around not good people at all. This one...had magic abilities. Assassin abilities. Drizzt then met with our friends upstairs to bust Nevano free...and we connected the dots. That Mute was there to kill them. We couldn't do much about it though. We had no time. So we left for Vvardenfell to plead the aforementioned exotic allies for help."

"Friends upstairs?" Catti-Brie looked puzzled.

"Drizzt and I were the ones who contacted the Armiger, using a pair of code words Veleth had given us," Ravenlight explained, "and we caught the attention of more than the Armiger: a Thalmor official. Fortunately for everyone, most especially him, he proved to be reasonable, and when I told him what had _happened_ to the Thalmor who'd entered that ruin, and that there were now a dozen vampire clans practically on their doorstep, he believed me, and offered to use his influence with the soldiers there to defend the town against them. He was also the one who helped Drizzt find and rescue Nevano. The Mute, apparently, was after _him_. Though..." She shook her head. "I'll let Veleth keep going."

"We'll get back to them." Veleth nodded. "With Odahviing's help, we got to Vvardenfell, the island that makes up most of northern Morrowind, in record time...only to find that even the vampire clans there were fighting, using an ash storm as cover. Drizzt and Ravenlight were quick to make their day very miserable. Solved half our problems. Unfortunately, Ravenlight had used up so much energy she was...fairly done. Lucky for us, the Ashlanders were more than a little curious at all that was going on so we were ushered underground to the Card'vel's abode without too much trouble. Here is...where the story gets a little muddled. The Card'vel are good people but they are _strange_. Card'vel translates roughly to 'People of the Dead'. They made their home underground in all the tombs that litter the island, digging tunnels to connect them all. They care for the dead and the souls there and...have been known to eat trespassers. Ceremoniously, though. We don't touch whatever meat they have just in case though. More than that, the two that lead the tribe are...I don't know how to describe Kaid-Anit but Uliamu is crazy as they come."

"Unfortunately accurate assessment," Ravenlight agreed. "Minor correction: it was _not_ dispelling the ash storm that exhausted me so much as having previously dealt with a Revered dragon we encountered along the way. This would be the equivalent of an Elder dragon in your world...old, extremely powerful, and not always pleasant. The Divines decided to cut us a break, and Mirdovek is a follower of Paarthurnax, the ancient dragon at the Throat of the World I've mentioned a few times. He agreed to recognize my authority, and I sent him back to High Rock to keep an eye on the vampires and pick off any stragglers he might happen to notice." She gave Nevano a sly grin. "The rest of the flight was uneventful-unless you count the dive over the ocean when Odahviing saw a fish."

Nevano sputtered out several curses at that.

"I hadn't heard a scream that high-pitched even when Blaise dropped a handful of worms down Lucia's collar."

"If we were made to be over deep water, we'd have fins and scales like a damned fish." Nevano grumbled.

"Could have been worse. He could have decided to swim the rest of the way!" Veleth laughed, earning a dirty look.

"Or decided he needed more than one fish." Serana giggled, leaning her head against Nevano's shoulder as she did.

Nevano sighed and put his arm around her. "Chalk it up as another thing I won't live down."

"As I said, this is where things get muddled but I firmly believe that that was on purpose." Veleth said. "Kaid-Anit and Ulimau might be strange but they are also insanely powerful. Kaid-Anit can hear the gods, though his faith has limited him only to those he worships. He also has this incredibly obnoxious ability to drop someone into a deep sleep at the wave of a hand or hold you right at the edge of sleep. Uliamu...I thought she was completely out of her mind when I watched her bury a bone, but she made me a believer when that one bone created an entire, very powerful ghost fence. I think she's quite possibly one of the most powerful spirit mages alive currently. Three gods couldn't do that without extreme difficulty. Anyway, I know something happened but we weren't all awake at the same time for it. The end result was Kaid-Anit agreeing that help was needed. Instead of just having Uliamu coming to bind the magic in the armor and banish it...we got the whole tribe and however many tribes they can reach on the way out."

"Ah, _that_ I can at least partially fill in," Ravenlight said. "Kaid-Anit and Uliamu both talked to the Dov. I wasn't awake for part of it, but I do remember some of my conversation with Kaid-Anit and I remember Uliamu telling me that more than vampires were heeding the call of the Mistress in the ruins. And Kaid-Anit was the one who warned us about the half-Daedra children of Vivec and Molag Bal." She grimaced, noting the look of utter revulsion that crossed Serana's face at that. "I don't think you want details about them."

Nevano twitched. "Please, don't ask about that subject. The fact that it was true and not some weird half-truth or lie on Vivec's part is..." His eyes flared gold a moment.

"Beyond disgusting," Serana volunteered.

Catti-Brie looked briefly puzzled. Drizzt pulled her close and whispered something in her ear that made her blue eyes go wide with horror. "Oh, you poor girl."

Nevano pulled Serana closer to his side. She huddled against him, meeting Catti-Brie's eyes for a moment, before dropping her gaze.

"_Muhri kol flur._" Nevano murmured to her. "_El edur ayuli enhi lo._"

"Normally I put exactly zero faith in anyone who tries to play fortune teller but in Kaid-Anit's case, it's something to listen to." Veleth said. "Nor did we have to wait all that long to find out. Our next stop was Blacklight. We landed in the safest place I could think of without setting the entire city into a panic and one of those creatures _dared_ attack us there." Veleth had to stop, his eyes flaring red suddenly.

"It was his father's gravesite," Ravenlight said quietly. "And that _creature_..." She shook her head, glancing for a moment at Drelasa. "Well. We dealt with it too quickly for it to desecrate the site."

"He gave me a good warning before it took our heads off." Veleth said. "Then ever so helpfully set it on fire. Wonder which of the Reclamations has that thing..."

"Any justice in the world, and it'll be in the Soul Cairn," Ravenlight said coldly. "Give Durnehviir a nice new chew toy."

"Where it is, it's leaving that shrine alone." Veleth shifted. "Anyway, that's when Ravenlight and Drizzt got the second leg of the crash course in meeting the family. My mother is the easiest one...but then we set Nevusa and the twins on them."

"Hey!" Nevusa protested.

"You stole my son and ran in screaming about it." Veleth shot back.

"I was _watching_ him!" Nevusa argued. "You know...while his parents weren't around?"

"Did you even bother telling Dreyla?"

"You know I don't like your wife." Nevusa pouted.

Veleth just groaned. Catti-Brie looked worriedly over at her daughter. Ravenlight laughed. "Don't worry. After that little talk I had with Connlach when Alustra was born, she'd have to peel _him_ off first before she could run off with her." She smiled down at the five-year-old. "You take protecting your little cousin seriously, don't you?"

He nodded solemnly.

"No, no! Don't worry! Just his." Nevusa pointed at Veleth. "And really it's not his _wife_ so much as it is her _father_. Most annoying fetcher..."

"Before we fall down that particular hole..." Veleth said. "Initially, the plan was to get the twins, who, despite being more trouble than a sack of wet cats, are a walking army, Nevusa, who is a decent enough fighter-" Nevusa slugged him in the arm for that comment- "and my mother, who can change the weather as well as probably scare half the vampires back home. However, plans were a bit altered when my mother starts mobilizing the entire Buoyant Armigers because she took over them at some point when we weren't paying attention."

"I'm still rather shocked none of you noticed." Drelasa laughed. "Shocked and slightly disappointed. It was rather obvious."

Ravenlight shrugged. "Well, since we in Skyrim didn't know that the Buoyant Armigers _existed_...you lot, however, probably have no such excuse." She looked over at her children. "All right, Lucia, let Blaise have his turn now."

"Good! It means they are doing their jobs." Drelasa smiled. To Catti-brie's confused look, she explained. "My late husband had headed the Armigers. Unfortunately, in a long, tangled plot that is a tale for another time, he was killed last year. The Armigers needed a spymaster and I had already been working with Jorun so I continued on."

"Ah." She nodded. "It probably would be a good thing if no one outside of a spy network knew about them."

"The name is not unfamiliar in Morrowind." Drelasa said. "They were originally a military branch that answered to Vivec. 'Vivec's finest, fleet and fit. Besting heretic by sword and Ordinator by wit. Sworn to live a life of noble grace, except to laugh in danger's face.' When Vivec was thrown down and gone, they turned to a new profession. Most believe they are scouts for the military now but that is merely a front."

"At least outwardly a more...noble calling than the _other_ spy network I know about," Ravenlight muttered.

Drizzt stifled a laugh. "They're not really _spies_...but I do have to agree with you on that."

"You remember how I was so emphatic that I did _not_ want Jarlaxle here, for any reason?" She faced the others. "He leads a mercenary group, called Breagan D'earth. They used to be centered in the Underdark; but he made it to the surface somehow, discovered that kinslaying and habitual treachery aren't considered pastimes up there, and decided to move his operation. He's got agents in nearly every city _and_ town up there now, they're almost like cockroaches-which is _extremely_ annoying to me, in the times I'm over there and wandering on my own, because I never know when that-_fetcher_ is going to show up to try and pester me into working a job for him-especially when he halfway blackmails me into doing it half the time."

Drizzt arched an eyebrow. "I didn't know about that..."

"No, because he never tells you, and I'm usually so mad at him by the time it's over I'm ready to kill a troll with my bare hands, so I don't come near you until I've cooled down."

"Bonus points for the Dunmeri curse there." Nevano said. "Though you are making me want to _really_ meet this one."

Ravenlight shook her head. "I'm tempted. Though I'm not sure if it's worth it: I'm unusual, but not a tip-off. A Dark Elf that _isn't_ a Drow is...far more unusual. I don't want him asking any more questions than he usually does. Anyway." She waved a hand. "We got sidetracked."

"We did." Veleth motioned for Nevano to shush again. "So now we have a spy network on the move...but _alma_ wasn't done throwing surprises around. She also knew of two Redoran generals in town and got them to round up their men and any other soldier in town so now there's a Dunmer army headed to High Rock. One of which is the rather crusty general Nevusa mentioned earlier, the one _she_ serves under. She also sent a clear warning to the queen of Morrowind to butt out."

"Was that necessary?" Catti-Brie raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Every Dunmer in the room answered at once. Ravenlight stifled a laugh.

"Ah, my dear, Morrowind recently underwent a massive political upheaval." Drelasa said. "The queen herself is young. She isn't quite the problem. It's the one behind her. Her mother is an evil, conniving snake that came slithering back once all the hard work had been done to try and take credit from a dead man and then attempted to silence those who protested...but was convinced to sit her outwitted ass down when her assassins were returned to her. In a bag. In her bed chamber. On her pillow. By sending the message to the queen directly, I am training her to start to make decisions for herself instead of turning to her mother to ask when to breathe. She apparently is learning, for she sent mages along with the soldiers. Improvement. I hope."

"I take it you're responsible for sending the assassins back," a voice said from the door behind them. Nearly everyone jumped, except Ravenlight, who realized she'd half-guessed he was listening about the time she'd started grumbling about Jarlaxle.

"Finished your staring contest, then?" She looked back at Zaknafein. "Come on in and sit down; there's a ways to go yet."

Zak chose a spot that wasn't near the others, but he came in and sat down.

"I don't go looking for them but when I find one hiding in my house..." Drelasa tilted her head. "Well, he wasn't hiding by the time I got home. My dog found him first. He wasn't expecting Lady. The next night they went after my son...while his wife and child were in the house. They have since learned the errors of their ways. "

This earned her a curious look...and an approving nod.

"After getting all we could in Blacklight, we were ready to leave, though we had some fun with that." Veleth smirked.

Ravenlight grinned at Catti-Brie. "After this, I'll show you the dress I was wearing. And show you a few images I have of Azura, the patron of Morrowind and the Dunmer."

"We got every Dunmer thinking Ravenlight was Azura's avatar, riding on a unicorn through town, with Drizzt dressed to impressed on a skeleton horse." Veleth could _not_ stop the wicked grin at the memory. "Then she called Odahviing right in front of Rootspire, where _every_ politician could see and hear.

"Odahviing?" Zaknafein frowned in confusion.

"Oh, that's right, I never told you. He's a dragon; used to be Alduin's right...wing, I guess would be the accurate term. Dragons respect strength, so when I sent that spiky black wretch running, he wasn't slow in transferring that loyalty to me." Ravenlight shrugged. "Since I did proceed to _kill_ Alduin not long after...he's stayed loyal."

"After we made sure everyone was thoroughly impressed, we came here." Veleth said. "Greeted by recent news of Thalmor passing through. Ravenlight went to talk to dragons while we dealt with Molag Bal's newest challenges."

"Talk to dragons?" Both Catti-Brie and Zak's eyebrows rose at that, and there was a slight sound from around the door that suggested other listeners.

"Recruit," Ravenlight clarified. "I defeated Alduin; I am the _Dovahjud_, the Dragon Queen. I called them from across Skyrim and then challenged them to help fight the hordes of Molag Bal. Some agreed to take on the vampires on their own; ten actually agreed to fight alongside us. As for Molag Bal's latest challenge..." she eyed the others. "I'd like a little clarification on that, considering what I came home to."

"It was what's called a titan." Veleth said. "Basically, a dragon that long ago was taken by Molag Bal and...experimented on. It's twisted beyond all reason but it's still very, very powerful. And it's not the only one. There are plenty others in the realms of Oblivion." He continued. "Boethiah has one too. Though she treats him like a pet I noticed...a pet she lets eat other daedra that displease her."

"Be warned," Drizzt said, "they breathe fire-and it's _not_ normal flame. Icingdeath protected me well enough that I wasn't killed, but..."

"_Horrendous_ burns," Ravenlight said flatly. "All over every inch of exposed skin and every single tiny join in his armor. We got him healed up, but it took a full day before he recovered completely from that."

Veleth and Nevano winced in sympathy.

"While Drizzt was recovering..." Veleth said. "We started connecting the dots over just what was happening because none of this was making any sense. We started to connect events that happened both recent and in the past few years. Turns out, this is not just some evil armor in an old crumbling ruin. This isn't about vampires. This is about the most rage-filled vampire to exist being used by Molag Bal, using the Thalmor, all arguing over the most powerful objects in Tamriel. We basically were tossed into the most dangerous game I can possibly think of while the Daedra Lords are actually _scared_ that we won't succeed."

"To elaborate...there are what's known as Towers all over Tamriel." Veleth continued on. "They've been there since creation really. All of them have keys. Without the keys, they cannot be used. Some keys have been lost, some towers have been destroyed. Most are this way...except one. Ada-mantia. In High Rock."

"There is something in the ruin that the Mistress was using to amplify her call, reaching all the vampires across Tamriel," Ravenlight said. "Turns out that this item is called the 'Beacon of Death'. It's either the key to the Tower, or the key _to_ the key, that part was not entirely clear. Either way, it's an item of _unbelievable_ power, used to unlock a place that has more ties to creation than the Moth Priests' entire _library_ of Elder Scrolls."

"It wasn't always a Beacon of Death." Drelasa said sadly. "Jorun found out more for me. It once something called Lattanya, the Light of Life. The Ayleids used it to grow plants and heal illnesses. This ruin, Erokii, was once the greatest Ayleid city in the northern parts of Tamriel. It was corrupted when the city was destroyed in a very bloody conflict, becoming Abagandra, the Lightless Remnant. The great spire, the ruins you were in, is now known as Doomcrag. It was built very similar in design to Ada-mantia, which made many believe it was a failed tower but Jorun seems to think it was built in likeness because it housed the key to the real tower; Lattanya. How the armor came to reside in the ruins, I do not know. Nor does Jorun. But it can't be sheer coincidence. Jorun was highly concerned that the key is corrupted...what will happen if a corrupt key is used on the tower?"

"Nothing good," Zak grunted. "I wouldn't be surprised if this armor was housed there deliberately...perhaps even _because_ this key was there."

"And I think...I can guess what might happen to the tower if the corrupted key is used." Serana spoke quietly. "You said you used the Bow of Auri-El on vampires in Vvardenfell; the great power of the Bow, I would imagine? Well...there was a way to...corrupt, and darken, the Bow, so that its power would, rather than calling down the Sun, actually...put it out." She hesitated. "It required the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour. Like me. I think...using the corrupted key on the Tower would have a very similar effect."

"Or worse." Drelasa said. "I'm not saying that to be doom and gloom. Not even the Daedra Lords OR the Divines know what this tower does. It predates even them. This could rewrite history entirely."

"We were already considering the possibility that Molag Bal is trying to set himself up over the other Daedra as king," Ravenlight pointed out. "And that doing so might throw the balance of this entire plane of existence off-balance so badly it could destroy it completely… leaving him free to move over to _another_ world and start wreaking havoc there." She looked at Catti-Brie. "And...your world is closest, of all of them."

"Oh and it gets better and better." Veleth said. "We've been gathering every ally, friend, acquaintance, friend of a friend of a friend of the dog that lived down the road twelve years ago. We were starting to feel pretty good but then, of course, a loop was thrown. Earlier today, when my mother decided to scare the piss out of everything within several leagues...we ran across a group of Molag Bal worshippers opening a damn portal to summon a few daedroth! Daedroth are Bal's minions. Look like the swamp reptiles that live in Black Marsh. Long mouth filled with sharp teeth. Oh! Here. Almost forgot." Veleth tossed a cloth bag that clacked to Ravenlight, who caught it out of the air. "Daedroth teeth. Useful in alchemy. Anyway, we were a bit busy killing giant demon reptiles that the cultists ran off. Since the Oblivion Crisis, no Daedra Lord can invade the mortal plane. BUT if they are summoned in small numbers? No problem. So they are being summoned in bits at a time. Just great."

"_And_," said Ravenlight grimly, "it looks like it's not just random Molag Bal worshipers. That Elf you were glaring at earlier?" She glanced at Zak. "He's that reasonable Thalmor I mentioned close to the start of this. The Revered dragon I had patrolling the edges of the vampire army found him and the ones most loyal to him staked out in a kind of rough shed about halfway between the town and the ruin, each one with a number of shallow cuts across their limbs. He...mentioned it to me in a dream; not because he was at all interested in the fact that five people had been staked out as vampire bait, but because he was picking off any vampires that came close to investigate."

She shook her head. "I didn't remember what I'd been shown right away, because I had to head off a crisis the instant I woke up...but I did remember later. And immediately called Odahviing and another dragon to head back up there and retrieve them, because Thalmor or not, no one deserves to be staked out for vampires to tear apart. He told us right before I went to get you that the Thalmor power base is divided: and that two of them have been rounding up conjuration mages-mages who can summon creatures of Oblivion-for different purposes. One might actually be working _with_ Molag Bal; the other is almost assuredly partnering with _other_ Daedric princes and summoning creatures that are not affiliated with Bal-which would all be just fine, if these creatures actually cared about whoever got caught in the crossfire." Her eyes were grim. "And after that lovely little debacle from your world, concerning those utter _idiots_ and their possessed jewelry, I don't think I have to spell out how bad that is."

"No," Zak and Catti-Brie said at the same time, both with similar expressions, "you don't."

Farkas looked mildly confused. "I didn't know there _were_ any reasonable Thalmor."

"I'm fairly sure that a few years ago, people would have said the same thing about reasonable werewolves," Ravenlight pointed out mildly.

He considered this, then nodded. "Guess that makes sense."

"So, we are looking at not only an invasion of demons, a take over of exceedingly powerful vampires and a war between them and gods..." Veleth said flatly. "We also are looking at the destruction of our world and quite possibly a few others. No pressure."

Zak looked over at Ravenlight. "So you weren't exaggerating," he said.

"Nope." She grimaced. "Might have been understating it, in fact."

"Just lacking ash vampires and a soul-eating dragon." Nevano said.

"_Please_ don't tempt fate," Ravenlight growled. "I already know we're going to have to involve Durnehviir in some way, and I'm not really happy about that."

"I wouldn't worry too much. You and I destroyed the towers associated with that." Nevano said. "Inadvertently but successful all the same."

"Red Mountain might be a smoldering crater," Ravenlight pointed out, "but if 'Snow Throat' is the Throat of the World and not just the Greybeard's monastery, then it is _very much_ still standing. Though I will admit, Alduin is very dead...and even better, he died in _Sovngarde_, so there's no way to find some fragment to try and resurrect him from."

"Red Mountain still stands. It's still an active volcano." Nevano pointed out. "A bit difficult to destroy a mountain. Ours just happens to spew fire and ash. You destroyed the tower by killing Alduin and I did by destroying the Heart. The tower itself remains but we destroyed the keys. That tends to ruin a bit. But, as we both found out, destroying a key isn't easy. It nearly killed us. One because your key liked to move around and _bite_ and mine because the monster that claimed it also liked to bite. Oh wait this key has biting things around it too..."

"I think the point Nevano can't seem to focus on here is this; destroying the key will solve quite a bit but it'll take an enormous amount of effort." Veleth said. "This tower is supposedly more powerful than Red and Snow. Destroying the key just might cost more than blood, if it even _can_ be destroyed. There's still one thing that's bothering me..."

"Which would be?"

"When the Heart was put back together, that Thalmor battlemage said something that didn't really stick until now." Veleth frowned. "He said 'power cannot be destroyed. The shell was broken but the power remains.' I thought he was rambling because the power they put back in it was powered by stolen souls, corrupting it badly. Couldn't be near the thing without wanting to be sick. But with the destruction of these keys and towers...where did that power go?"

"A fair question," Ravenlight said. "I _saw_ what happened to Alduin, despite being barely conscious at the time: his energy was absorbed directly into the Aurbis. Whether he's actually _gone_ or not, I don't know. And I don't know if the...same thing happened with the Heart of Lorkhan."

"Could have been because of _where_ you killed him." Veleth said. "You were already at the edge of Aetherius."

"You are worried that the power of these other keys went to Ada-Mantia, aren't you?" Nevano said.

"I'm starting to wonder if destroying the key will have worse consequences than letting them have it." Veleth said.

Catti-Brie pursed her lips. "There _is_ something, back in our world, that could hold the key safe without destroying it," she said slowly, "and perhaps even keep it safe for...if not eternity, than for a few thousand more years. And the way the portal stones work, we'd be able to take the key and remove it there without danger of anything else trying to interfere with it."

Veleth nodded. "We'll see what happens. That might be the best thing to do."

"Either that or we give it to Durnehviir and let him haul it into the Soul Cairn," Ravenlight muttered.

"I suppose we'll have a clearer idea what to do once we see it." Veleth said. "For all we know, it's a pebble. Or an enormous thing that makes you vomit if you get within fifteen paces of it. But we have plans. That's something at least."

"It's better than what we had previously." Ravenlight sighed and stood. "All right. I don't know how long it's going to take the Jarls to get their collective rears in motion, and some of them will take longer than others...so, rather than fret about that all day, I am going to do something productive. We've got several people who could use new sets of armor, so I am going down to the forge in the cellar to start working on that. And Nevano, I don't know _how_ you managed to get that filthy, but your armor is _disgusting_. Go get some clean clothes on and give that to me; I'll get it cleaned up while I'm working down there."

Nevano sighed. "That...would have been the daedroth that threw me into the swamp."

"Well, however it happened, you're muddy to the ears and it's starting to stink." She jerked her hand. "There's a bath chamber over beside the greenhouse; you go get some hot water there and clean up. But I want that armor. It's not just dirty, it's starting to get torn, and you're going to want it in perfect condition before we're thrown up against half of Oblivion as well as Thalmor and vampires."

Drizzt stood. "Ravenlight, if you don't mind...the Companions will only go so long before they're ready to kill each other unless there's something for them to fight. I'm going to go find a spot to set up a decent sparring arena, without threatening damage to the house or any surrounding structures."

Nevano grumbled heavily about his armor _not_ being torn but, at a touch from Serana, got up to obey.

Ravenlight also nodded at Drizzt. "That's a good idea. Keep them in line and training, and...not a bad place to let the others start building _their_ strength up, too." She glanced over to where Gyrmallion and the other three Altmer warriors had been trying to lurk. "There's practice armor and and spare weapons downstairs that you can borrow. Oh, and _uhiel_, make it _very_ clear to Companions and all that bumps and bruises are expected during training, but anything that will actually have to be healed, I will _not_ be happy about."

Drelasa stood. "No need to fret about that, dear. I'll be out there. As you said, we are about to go against half of Oblivion. I need to practice as well. Destruction spells work only so well. I just need someone willing to actually spar."

"You'll have quite a few volunteers." Ravenlight glanced over at Drizzt. "In fact, before you and Zak wear yourselves out against each other, why don't you sound her out, test her and see what she's capable of?"

"I like the sound of that." Drelasa stood. "I shall meet you out there."

Veleth started to leave with the rest of them but Nevusa hooked his shirt with a finger. "Where are you going?"

"To get the rest of my armor?"

"I don't think so. You've gotten tore up enough today." She poked him in the chest, right next to stitches, making him wince. "You got your spar today with a Daedra Lord. Sit."

"Oh, let him go watch." Ravenlight was grinning. "I'd go myself...but I really _do_ need to get that armor made. And you two, you go watch too. Zak _taught_ Drizzt. Watching those two go at each other is a sight _well_ worth seeing."

"Just need to put a rock on his back to keep him from getting too excited." Nevusa grinned. "These soldiers just can't seem to resist sometimes."

"Have Farkas sit on him," Ravenlight said with a grin. She shifted over to let the Altmer go past, each one wearing simple armor and carrying the steel swords she often made for practice. "And don't get carried away, or I _will_ take Elealda to gather spider silk to stitch you lot up with."

Veleth made a face at the suggestion but Nevusa giggled.

Nevano trudged back in, looking slightly chastised, carrying his armor. Apparently Serana had managed to talk him out of _all_ pieces of his armor. Including the boots. Veleth recoiled in horror at the stench wafting from them.

"Will you please just get new boots?" He asked.

"They're _lucky_." Nevano insisted.

Ravenight wrinkled her nose, but shrugged. "I've actually seen worse. Though Speckle typically made sure that if my brother's shoes got _too_ stinky, they vanished forever. I don't know why she liked them that much...but I _do_ know a few ways to get rid of the smell, because she'd steal mine, too."

"Lady refuses to touch his boots." Veleth started to beat a hasty retreat.

"You just have a thing about boots."

"Go slog in a swamp after Argonians for four years and tell me you wouldn't have a thing about boots after that!" Veleth shot as he bolted outside.

"He might have a point." Ravenlight took the armor, carrying the boots gingerly between two fingers. "And they need to be repaired, too. Don't worry, you'll get the same boots back."

She grinned. "Go on out; with those two sparring, it's going to be pretty impressive."

Nevano nodded. "Would not mind getting to appreciate those swords without dodging daedra at the same time."

* * *

**(And three years after _Hero_, since we still haven't met the baby, I am taking creative liberty with Drizzt and Cattie-Brie's baby. So. Alustra she is!)**


	20. Sparring Sessions

**(And welcome to the first of *many* sparring sessions, in which characters get to know each other, show off, and generally beat the crap out of each other. Oh, and irritate the healers.)**

* * *

**Sparring Sessions**

Drelasa was waiting for them. She didn't have much in the way of armor but a leather outfit. A short sword hung at her side. She smiled at them as they came up. "Which one of you wishes to dance with me first?"

The rest of the Companions, upon hearing about any sort of sparring, happily went about setting up an area to Ravenlight's specifications to practice in. It certainly was keeping them busy and happily so. Drizzt had known a safe place, about fifty yards from the house. Miraculously, it hadn't already been covered by tents: he directed them to set up a few boundaries around it, to designate it as the place to fight. They heard Drelasa's question and looked from one to the other. It wasn't that they _didn't_ want to spar; it was simply that none of them had any idea what her skill was, and therefore, what they might expect when they crossed blades with her.

Drelasa's smile was right on the edge of wicked glee. "Come on, then." She crooked her finger at Zak. "I promise I do not bite. This isn't a brawl, after all."

Only a few noticed Veleth and Nevano throw a few gold pieces together in a small pile between them.

Zak appraised the way she moved as he walked into the designated space, and a slow smile grew. "No. This will be interesting."

The companions gathered, watching in fascination: they'd never seek Zak before, but they could see his resemblance to Drizzt-and they, too, could read the movements of a highly skilled fighter. It _would_ be interesting.

"Of course it will be, dear." Drelasa said. She watched him just as closely, never losing her smile. "My husband used to tell me that one of the best ways to get to know another is through a spar. Many cannot help but allow their true nature through in their swords. Noble hearts show through even in the bloodiest of fights in how careful they are to end the suffering of their opponents quickly. Cruel hearts will allow a cut to go just slightly deeper than necessary. Not that I expect to see cruelty here."

"Your husband was a wise man." Zak prowled, blades at the ready.

"That he was." She drew her short sword. First glance she didn't seem nearly as skilled. "Shall we then?"

Nevano dropped a few more coins on the pile.

Zak started; light, quick. Nothing flashy, nothing complex. He was sounding her out. The Companions were snickering and elbowing each other...but the former Weapons Master knew better than to take any apparent lack of skill at face value. Drelasa casually matched him strike for strike, not showing any particular skill; but her movements were a hair too fluid, too second nature, for her to be a mere amateur.

"Clever." There was a brief flash in the crimson eyes of the warrior facing her. He sped up, just a little.

Drelasa continued to keep pace, settling more into a stance of someone who had trained long hours. She seemed very pleased with her sparring partner. "Flattery will get you places, dear."

"It would seem our audience doesn't see what I do." A slow, fierce grin appeared-not quite feral, but fairly near it. "Let's see what you're really capable of."

"I was wondering when you would stop toying with me like a cat with a mouse." She bared her teeth in her smile. "Shall we show the young crowd that age is merely a number?"

Zak erupted into motion, blades flashing. Drelasa's eyes sparkled in excitement and she happily dove in. While her skill was nowhere near as fast or as powerful, she moved with a speed that belied her initial presentation, as fluid as a mer half her age. She refused to give an inch to Zak, forcing him to work for whatever he gained. Judging from the grin on his face as they circled, her blade clashing easily against his two, he was enjoying this as much as she was.

Drelasa side-stepped the left sword and ducked low beneath the right, one knee dragging the ground. She pushed off hard, managing to get her shoulder into his stomach. It wasn't as hard as she wanted it to be but it was a hit. Unfortunately, it left her off balance. She knew better than to even think to linger. This one was quite possibly the most skilled warrior she had even seen. Her hit was merely to prove she could, not one she hoped would give her an advantage. She allowed her momentum to keep carrying her forward, ducking into a roll and to her feet, repositioning herself as fast as she could.

He followed her effortlessly, giving her a quick nod of approval for the hit; which he might have felt, but not much else. His blades snaked forward at the same time.

Considering she was far more magically inclined than she was a warrior, Drelasa considered that hit an enormous accomplishment. She knew she wasn't going to win this but she wanted to see how long she could last against someone like Zak. That and this was a rush she hadn't had in years. That he was a rather handsome thing didn't hurt at all.

Zak continued to push her, probing her weaknesses, before he finally ended it. A swift feint that had her blocking air, a strike to keep her blade out of the way-and the tip of his other scimitar rested suddenly at her collarbone.

Far from looking dismayed at losing, Drelasa threw her head back and laughed, throwing the Companions for a loop. "Oh! What a _thrill_! I haven't had the pleasure of fighting like that in _years_. Especially not against someone as skilled as you."

Nevano dropped the last few coins to the pile before Veleth smirked and swiped the whole thing up.

"I was pleasantly surprised myself." He stepped back, lightly sheathing his blades. "Pleasant warm-up, that; anyone else?"

"Merely a warm up?" Drelasa raised an eyebrow, eyes flashing mischievously."Is that what you tell to every woman who is first in line? My, my, I would love to see what you would call a workout."

"She's teasing," Drizzt said, before Zak could actually react. "But if you really want to see him work..." He met his father's eyes and grinned.

Drelasa laughed again. "Of course I am, darling. But by all means, _this_ is something I must see." She vacated the ring and went over to Veleth and Nevano. "And I want half of that bet."

* * *

Drizzt entered the ring, drawing his blades. The Companions knew what a fighter he was, and leaned forward, falling silent. The Altmer drew a little closer themselves. Zak drew his own blades. Both were smiling in anticipation. Nevano and Veleth quickly made an even larger pile of coins.

When their blades chimed, it was clear this was a warm-up in preparation: but at the same time, they moved faster and in more complex patterns just to warm up than most people would have used during an actual match.

After about thirty seconds, their eyes met, locked-and the match actually began.

All around the ring, jaws about hit the ground and bounced off to places unknown. Drizzt and Zak flowed back and forth, incredibly fast. Their blades rang off each other, never striking hard enough to clash. They twisted, whirled, shifted-always in near-perfect concert. If one moved, the other shifted to match at once: strikes were blocked, parried, returned, and blocked again in the same motions.

Nevano's eyes flashed occasionally. Apparently, he wasn't the only one interested.

For a few moments, they looked as though they were perfectly mirrored. Then they changed again: this time, they weren't just pacing each other-and no one could really believe that what they'd just seen had been the two _pacing each other._ Now, they were both looking for weaknesses: probing, testing, pushing. They changed fighting styles, switched patterns: hunting for anything that would give them the advantage.

A few of the coins glowed red and the seal changed to a snake clenched in a fist. Veleth swiped those coins out of the pile without really taking his eyes off the fight.

Now they were _really_ going at each other, hammer and tongs. They were still using the flat of the blade-but if any of the strokes had landed, it went without saying that they would have hurt. And they _moved_ with unbelievable speed and precision. The turf beneath them was growing torn and ragged from the swiftness of the turns and blocks.

There was no sound, other than the clashing of steel. Whether they knew it or not, everyone had started holding their breath. None of the Dunmer remembered common anymore. Several Dunmeri mutters, and a few Velothi, slid by.

Finally-they couldn't see how it happened, or what slip led to it. But suddenly, the combat stopped, both blades locked. It took them a few seconds to realize that one of Drizzt's blades rested lightly against Zak's neck-and that one of his was only a few scant inches from the same position.

Several coins from the pile glowed and disappeared, and laughter echoed, not all that pleasantly, in the distance. Nevano and Drelasa raised an eyebrow and looked over at Veleth. He rolled his eyes and shrugged. Boethiah appreciated the show, but he wasn't worried she'd replace him. She liked his brute strength too much.

It was doubtful that either fighter had noticed. They disengaged, panting...then laughed, sheathed their blades, and hugged each other, before leaving the ring.

"Wow," Farkas said simply. "You two are _really_ good."

"_Ohm gahrudi edur hla_." Nevano said.

Zak looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"He said that was an understatement." Veleth said

Zak shrugged. "In Menzoberranzan, you were good, or you were dead in short order. I was determined to survive." He smiled at Drizzt. "And to make sure _he_ did, too."

"I'd say you succeeded." Veleth said.

Zak looked him over. "Not that tired...you want a round?"

Veleth opened his mouth to decline; he did _not_ want to get murdered by a pissed off Thalmor healer, Ravenlight _and_ his mother-there would be nothing left of his soul to send off to wherever-but cut off with a small cry as the sound of burning flesh interrupted. He spouted out an impressive string of cusses in both common and Dunmeri and yanked his shirt off to reveal his line of stitching had been seared fully closed. Veleth cursed again.

"Well, that's one way to get a Daedra Lord to undo the damage they did." Nevano snorted and handed over his sword. "Here. Boethiah wants to see how sheer strength stands against speed and finesse."

Zak grinned and went back to the ring. Veleth followed. Normally, in a simple spar, he'd keep to only the basics and keep the beast in its cage. Boethiah wasn't about to allow that. She was curious. Things would get very interesting.

Nevano again dropped coins in a pile. "Oh, this one will be good."

Veleth felt the rage beast in his belly just about purr in anticipation. Zak was fast, incredibly fast, faster than Nevano...but not faster than Boethiah. He certainly stood a chance. Boethiah wasn't going to let this spar be short. She wanted a _show_. Apparently, she was bored with waiting for them to go after vampires and her titan pet was too full to keep her occupied.

He nodded at Zak, signaling he was ready. Best to not waste time, lest Boethiah get annoyed and decide to change something else.

* * *

Zak was no idiot. He knew that fighting someone nearly a foot taller than him, and with longer reach, was chancy-and there had definitely been something strange about how that injury in Veleth's chest suddenly burned itself shut. He was prepared for _anything._ He braced, then went in.

Veleth barely felt anything those first few strikes, ignoring the beast growling that those were boring. Though he wasn't about to put his full strength into the first few blows, Zak was definitely stronger than his small frame suggested. Strong enough to make him sweat. Veleth couldn't stop the amused smile. He kept his feet still. Let him think he was big and stationary...for now. Ramp up the interest level in short order.

Zak probably would have quickly guessed that Veleth was faking even if he hadn't heard Farkas' curious question of, "Why isn't he moving?" from the sidelines. He'd fought big, dumb, and stationary...he'd also fought, big, fast, and agile, and he strongly suspected he was going to be dealing with the latter. He stopped dancing-not stopped moving, but keeping it down to just the minimum needed to keep away from Veleth's blade. He'd need his energy later.

Veleth tested with a few strikes of his own, very pleased at how quickly and easily he was parried, but blocked as much. He knew better. Two blades, when used correctly, could easily off-balance a heavier weapon. He had zero doubt Zak knew how to use weight to his advantage. Sheer strength wouldn't be enough...but it would certainly help wear him down. Neither of them were at full strength, Boethiah had pushed him hard earlier, but they had enough in them to show off their full abilities. He pushed a bit harder and faster, moving a little bit but not pushing, his weight shifted ever so-slightly on his toes. If Zak exploded on him, he was able to move and quickly.

The explosion did not come...yet. Zak felt Veleth up his game, and responded, just a little quicker, just a little more complex. He smiled a little; this was going to be interesting. He started to push, to test, to see a little more of what this one could do.

Veleth pushed a bit harder, a bit faster, seeing if he could find where Zak's true strength lay. The rage beast pushed at him. He was going too slow! _Patience_. It would come.

They were still sounding each other out: probably a wise thing, as Zak had no illusions about this one. Still...it would be good for both of them. He responded to Veleth's push-still not with everything, but giving more now.

Veleth gave one hard strike, enough to make sparks fly a bit, very curious how Zak would react. It was instinctive; he barely realized he was going to react. He felt that strength, and knew not to be there; he felt the blow, and vaulted, twisting his body up and past, to land on the other side of the larger fighter, landing a sharp blow to one arm with the flat of his blade as he did.

Veleth accepted the hit, smirking a bit. There it was. Now they understood each other a bit better.

He switched tactics then, instead of pushing, he stalked a bit, letting the rage beast out of its cage but holding it tight. It liked to find the holes. Knew where the best place to strike was. He reeled his strength back, almost teasing strikes out.

Zak felt the bait-and felt his own darker side stirring at that. _So, you want to play?_ The grin that spread across his face was decidedly feral. _Let's play._ He gave-not everything, but enough to make it look like it.

Veleth returned the feral look, quickly ramping it up to match, suddenly moving faster and his strikes much stronger. His eyes didn't quite glow but there was a definite brightness there that wasn't there a moment ago.

They danced around each other, their skills quickly rising to the fore. At first, it just looked as though they were enjoying it. But slowly, it became clear that this was becoming more than just a sparring match. Blows were aimed too quickly, too hard: movements were too aggressive. And something strange was happening to the combatants themselves.

"So...bets on how badly Ravenlight is going to chew them up and spit them out for taking it too far?" Nevano muttered. Several handfuls of coins made an appearance.

Drizzt, unnoticed by anyone, turned on his heel and headed for the house. _Both_ of them were tapping into a darkness not easily held back...and it would take something pretty drastic to keep them from killing each other once they really let loose.

Nevano glanced at his arms. "Might have to test out how well this works..."

The fight in the ring was rapidly turning into something both impressive and terrifying. Both combatants were moving incredibly fast, and sparks were flying from their weapons with each stroke. Nevano let it go on for a few more moments before he noticed tell-tale signs that it was going to go _very_ badly. Veleth's eyes were blazing red and his skin was starting to turn black. Zak's red eyes had turned nearly black and his strikes were no longer with the flats of the blades. Both of them had the capability of severing a limb entirely.

"Okay, I think the gods have made their point." He stood up, taking off the bracers. "_Gahmerdehn am as San Rouan_, this needs to stop."

The scars on his arms seemed to shimmer briefly, or that could have been a trick of the light on scabs, but before the next strike could hit, both combatants were held in place by two daedra in the form of scaled naked women with massive bat wings for arms, clawed feet that could easily eviscerate a man through the thickest armor and talons longer than a forearm. Even Veleth's strength was no match for the winged twilights.

Nevano walked between them. "Put the rage beasts back in their cages. You two...are stupidly strong, but that darkness that gives you that strength tends to get a bit too excited at a challenge. Save it for when you are scaring the piss out of vampires."

"What the hell is this?" A voice spoke, very quiet, but resonant, and no less angry for that. "Do I seriously have to keep watch over _all_ of you every _second_ to keep this sort of thing from happening?" The Bosmer was there. She was the one moving, and possibly speaking. But they could all see the dragon: massive, snow-and-scarlet, and moving right along with her. Neither one looked pleased.

Nevano held up a hand. "In their defense, they would have done an easy spar but higher beings got very curious and started to place bets...and were spurring them on to make it interesting. They're calming down now. I don't think they managed to draw blood on each other, somehow. Though if they move, those claws will certainly cause some damage." Nevano considered the twilight's claws. The two daedra bared their fangs in what might have been a smile, clicking their claws together.

Veleth shook his head, his skin fading back to its normal gray and his eyes no longer glowing. He panted a bit, getting his head back straight, the beast grumbling as it shrank back into its corner.

"For some odd reason," Ravenlight said, her voice rumbling as the Dov lent her strength, "I would have thought it was clear that I did _not_ want sparring going beyond a friendly training match or so." Her foot started to tap. "Do I _really_ need to spell out what 'a friendly training match' implies?"

"Boethiah took bets." Veleth said flatly.

She glared at them both for a second longer. Then-the dragon they could all see threw back its head and _roared_. There were possibly words in the sound-but no one could pick them out or understand them, aside from one word which might have been 'Boethiah'. The Bosmer did not appear to move. Veleth flinched, realizing that Ravenlight had turned her ire on Boethiah herself, chewing her out for pushing them along.

The Companions stared, not sure if they were more impressed or alarmed. The twilights laughed before vanishing.

Veleth stumbled as he was released. "Ugh..._vith_."

Nevano shook his head. "Seems the Daedra Lords get bored. Like certain warriors."

The dragon vanished. Ravenlight gave Zak and Veleth a long, hard look, then turned on her heel and went back into the house without another word.

"I suggest you both sit out the next few rounds." Nevano said. "Or I can bring in more winged twilights and Trueflame can brand both your hides. I'm sure I can get it hot enough for Dunmer skin."

"Yeah I...I think that's probably-what in Oblivion happened to your arms?" Veleth stared, just noticing the injuries.

"Uhh..." Nevano froze.

Drelasa stood, legs stiff like an angry wolf. Nevano panicked when he saw that. Drelasa was going to _kill_ him. Hopefully Azura was amused and feeling a bit merciful to allow him to abuse this gift a bit...

A winged twilight swooped out of nowhere and scattered several Companions, as it snagged a chipmunk before taking wing and disappearing. When everyone looked back to where Nevano was...there was empty air.

"Run now, little ass." Drelasa said grimly, eyes flashing and arms folded. "This isn't over. I'll flush him out later." She shooed a hand at the Companions. "Show is over. Go spar yourselves. And let the warning stand. No letting Daedra Lords take over. Well? Pick up your jaws and get moving! Go before this sunshine suddenly becomes a thunderstorm."

* * *

Farkas was the first to stand, stretching his back a little. "I wanna spar. No dancing, though; not for me." He looked at the Companions. "Who wants to go against me, eh?" Nevusa coughed next to him. He glanced down at her and grinned. "Okay then. Let's see what you can do!"

She happily bounced up, taking out the hand axe and knife.

"Oh, you're like Athis!" He laughed, unsheathing his own longsword. "Little against big. Don't worry. Just the flat; I remember."

"Yes but for all his talk of Ashlanders, they are all sighing in exasperation." She grinned while Athis squawked in protest. "Light armor, light weapons...fights like he's armored like Veleth. Ashlanders do not brawl. They will get in close."

Farkas sheathed the sword. "Well, if you want in close; see if you can hit me with those before I stop you!"

She grinned sweetly at him, fluttering her eyes...then seemed to disappear. She ducked in low but to the side, grabbed his belt and swung around him using his belt as a fulcrum. She scaled his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and held her knife to his throat. She leaned in close to his ear. "Always go where they least expect. Move quick. The front and sides are always protected. The back is not."

"True." He didn't seem perturbed, even as the others laughed at how fast she'd got around him.

"They can laugh. I'd get them even faster." She let him go. "Except they'll like it even less. They are smaller."

"Little ones can be hard to hit. But you just have to hit them once." Farkas glanced over at Veleth. "I'd fight him, only he's still in trouble."

"I'd let him calm down." Nevusa said. "When he's himself, he is fun to spar with. The other part? It won't let you walk away without hurting a bit."

"Yeah. The other part wouldn't be fun." Farkas looked around. "Hey, Gen, Sine! Come and give me a session."

The wild-looking pair came forward. They'd switched out some of their Forsworn equipment for more standard weapons and armor when they'd joined, but their background was more than obvious in their clothing, facial markings, and way of fighting. They looked decidedly pleased as they came forward and entered the ring.

"No blood," Drizzt warned, "and don't break anything. Otherwise, you're fine." He walked over to Zak as the fight began. "Are you all right?"

Veleth had backed way off, putting a good amount of distance between them.

"I don't know." Zak looked both disturbed, and...oddly ashamed. "I felt...odd. I don't know..." He rubbed at his eyes. "It started as just...instinct. Anger. You know."

Drizzt nodded.

"But it started to turn into something else. Something I don't...I didn't recognize it."

"Veleth has...a patron of sorts," Drizzt mused. "Not quite a demon, but fairly close. Boethiah. I suspect she was pushing; urging you both to...more than you'd wanted."

"It didn't happen with Drelasa, and it didn't happen with you, and I could...feel something watching while we were sparring." Zak scowled. "But when he started pushing, something..._answered_. Something I know damn well I've never felt before. And I don't _think_ it was the same thing that he had, because it..." He shook his head. "I don't know how to put it."

* * *

Drelasa went over to her son. "This little rage beast is starting to get a bit out of control."

"I know." Veleth grunted. "It's fine against something that needs to be killed but it's starting to not distinguish."

"What are you going to do about it?" Drelasa asked.

"I'm...not sure. Most times I can keep it in check but...this last time..." Veleth growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suspect Boethiah isn't best pleased with my lack of veneration but she knew that choosing me." Veleth looked furious with himself. "For now, I just need to avoid fighting with anyone friendly. Until I can figure out what she wants."

Drelasa nodded, though she looked very worried about her son.

* * *

**(Well...something interesting seems to be going on with certain folk! As always, please leave a review. It's nice to hear from you guys.)**


	21. A Heart Revealed in Combat

**A Heart Revealed in Combat**

In the ring, Farkas redeemed himself in the eyes of all after losing in half a second to Nevusa. He'd already disarmed and flattened Gen, and now, as Sine sprang at him, he whirled around, his sword following the motion, and caught her just below the chest with the flat. She let out a breathless yelp and flew back, landing hard on her rump just outside the ring.

"Match!" someone called.

Nevusa grinned broadly, impressed. Farkas winked at her and stepped out of the ring. He looked down at the panting Forsworn. "You okay?"

She sat up, growling something rude in her native language. "Just...my pride."

Nevusa stepped up, this time dropping both her weapons to the ground. "Anyone wish to try me again?"

A female Khajiit stepped forward. "Ashvana saw how fast you are," she purred. "She wishes to try against you."

"Excellent!" Nevusa grinned. "You know, I've never sparred with a Khajiit before. This'll be fun."

"No claws," warned someone from the sidelines.

Ashvana looked over at him haughtily. "Of course not. This is a _friendly_ match." She stepped into the ring, half-crouching, and grinned at Nevusa. "Come, little Dunmer girl. You are fast. Let us see how fast you are!"

"Hopefully fast enough to ruffle that ridiculously fluffy fur of yours." Nevusa crouched down. "Really though, what do you use? You'd be the envy of every noble house in Necrom."

"Cold water, off the ice." She grinned.

"Ah, I'll have to try that before going back to the land of heat and ash." Nevusa nodded. "Okay. Enough hair talk, though I could keep that up. Let's do this!"

Ashvana charged first, light and balanced. She struck at Nevusa, quick and hard, ready for counter-strikes. Her fur was almost deceptive: there was a layer of hard muscle underneath that thick fluff.

Nevusa blocked with her forearm but instead swept with her foot, seeing if Ashvana was paying attention. The Khajiit was expecting this; she avoided the swipe easily, and aimed another blow at Nevusa's collar as she did. Nevusa ducked and rolled to the side, fully expecting retaliation while she was down there. As she came up, Ashvana half-pounced, snatching at her to knock her back to the ground.

Instead of trying to dodge or duck, Nevusa let her, going with the fall instead of against it and using the momentum to keep going so that she was more or less on top.

"So _fluffy_!" Nevusa had to turn her head away a bit, spitting out a mouthful of fuzz. Ashvana took advantage of her moment of distraction, catching Nevusa around the waist with her legs and heaving, rolling until she was again on top.

Nevusa scooted backwards, shoving her hip not quite into Ashvana. As soon as she was on her hands and knees, she tucked her rump and swung her legs under and around, shoving her back into Ashvana and scraping her off. She twisted and leaped to her feet, free. Ashvana let out a little growl of enjoyment and sprang to her feet, her tail lashing. She waited for half a second for Nevusa to be prepared, then lunged for her again.

Nevusa dropped low, her knee scraping the ground, catching one leg but Ashvana was too fast to allow her to grab both. She didn't let up though. She surged to her feet and rammed a shoulder sideways. The Khajiit flipped over her back-but in a move that was almost as panicked as it was practiced, she grabbed hold of Nevusa's waist, latching onto the cloth and armor with claws half-extended. Nevusa was jerked off-balance, and both went down hard. Nevusa felt the air leave her lungs in a rush but didn't stop. She grabbed whatever she could, dirt, armor, fuzz, and pushed off whatever purchase her boots could grab, determined to keep on top of the writhing Khajiit.

They rolled from end to end of the ring, first one on top, then the other, both struggling to rise and keep the other down at the same time. Nevusa refused to give in. She was not used to losing and she wasn't ready to start now. They finally managed to gain their feet at the same time, and faced off for half a second, before lunging at each other in a flurry of strikes and kicks.

Drelasa watched in partial amusement as the spar devolved into a spat, with both women tearing at each other's hair. She would give it another few moments before she froze their feet to the ground. Veleth, while everyone else was distracted, moved off, his interest in watching others spar low while he was struggling to keep his own abilities in check.

Drelasa, as it turned out, didn't have to do anything. Lucia had seen her mother deal with the Companions often enough to know where the water buckets were and what to do with them, and while she was still young, she had impressive aim. A cascade of cold brine suddenly crashed down over the two combatants, who froze, gasping.

"Wonderful aim, darling." Drelasa smiled, watching them sputter.

"If Mama had to come out again..." Lucia lowered the bucket, putting her other hand on her hip primly. "I was a little scared to do it with the others...but Ashvana's not _that_ much older than me."

Drelasa flicked her hand, the ice crystals forming on her fingers falling away. "Never be afraid to tell idiots to grow a brain," she said.

She looked over at Zak, and where Veleth had wandered off. "Yeah," she whispered, "but they're really grown-ups. And Veleth was getting..._scary_."

"That...I'm afraid was less being an idiot and more something more sinister acting on them." Drelasa said with a frown. "My son is strong...and it attracted an even stronger being who has a voracious and bloodthirsty appetite. Normally she is content to leave him be; but now she seems to be requiring more."

Lucia shivered. "Back when she'd just become my mama, Mama found something in Whiterun that made her...almost like that. I could see she didn't like it, but it made her...angry. A lot. She didn't know I'd see: her eyes would change. They'd get hungry. And then she'd shake her head and hiss 'No!', and breathe really hard and...get control again. But after she came back from going all the way up to the ice fields in the Sea of Ghosts, she was back to normal again."

"Sometimes...in order to overcome darkness, one must become stronger." Drelasa said. "Though that strength does not always equal physical strength."

"Maybe he could talk to her about it," Lucia said. "I don't know what she did...but it worked."

Drelasa smiled. "I will mention it to him. Perhaps your mother will have the answer he needs."

"Hopefully." Lucia turned, looking surprised. "Oh...that one really tall Elf is talking with Drizzt. I wonder...what he's saying?"

* * *

The ring had remained vacant for several moments after Ashvana and Nevusa had gotten carried away. It was at that point that Gyrmallion walked over to Drizzt. "If you don't mind...would you spar with me?"

Drizzt looked at him, then smiled. "I would. Like Drelasa said...you can get the measure of someone through their fighting. I would like to...take your measure."

Gyrmallion answered with a smile. "I'd have asked Nerevar, but Nevano seems to have...disappeared."

Suddenly Drelasa was glad Nevano had run off. There was no force in Oblivion that would have convinced her to allow _that_ spar to happen. Drizzt had the best control out of everyone here, and an impressive mastery of his emotions. Nevano lay at the opposite end of that scale. Nerevar could not maintain the energy for a full spar on his own. He and Nevano tended to blend their fighting styles if they fought together...something that was highly effective in confusing their opponents. Nevano did not trust Gyrmallion in the slightest and would not allow Nerevar that control.

"Later." She said with a hint of a warning. "Nerevar is still connected to another, remember."

"There...is that." He seemed regretful. "Perhaps later, then." He glanced and Drizzt and walked into the ring, the Drow following.

"Hopefully soon..." she murmured. She hoped. It was something she desperately wished for Nevano...to learn to let things go. This wasn't a grudge to hold. She knew Nevano was watching from somewhere safe, away from her. She hoped something about this impressed on him.

The start of the sparring match was similar to what Drizzt had done with Zak: a fast warm-up. Only in this case, the opponents were also sounding each other out. It was quickly apparent that the fighting styles they'd been trained with were very different; it was also clear that they were both skilled enough not to let it bother them. After less than a minute, they started moving, back and forth, circling each other; each one looking for a weakness to exploit.

Gyrmallion used his height and reach to his advantage, not that he had much of one, because Drizzt was using his speed to his own advantage. They were, at least in this early point of the spar, evenly matched.

Drelasa watched. Though she was highly impressed with their skill, she felt so very tired suddenly. There were so many problems she did not have any good answer to...but at least this was going right. A small thing, but still a good thing.

As they started moving faster, growing more intense, Drizzt started noticing a few things. Gyrmallion seemed always alert for what was around him, particularly for whatever was behind him. And not in a way that was alert for treachery. At one point, the Drow started to feint toward the right, half-noticing that Lucia stood-well behind the boundary mark-on that side. Gyrmallion instantly answered the feint with a full step to the right, his own blade darting in a strike that forced Drizzt back on the defensive. He barely seemed to realize he'd done it as he responded with a flurry of attacks that briefly pushed the Drow back.

After that, Drizzt started testing it; whenever he noticed someone fairly close to the boundary behind Gyrmallion, he'd start a deliberate move in that direction, whether as a feint or as a motion to get behind him. Each time, the Altmer would intercept him, harder than he did if the space behind them was clear.

Drelasa raised an eyebrow once she caught on to what Drizzt was doing. This Altmer was definitely different than the others...especially with that protective streak in him.

Whether Gyrmallion realized what Drizzt was doing or not, he started a few tactics of his own. The Drow could only call it 'taunting'-though neither of them really had the breath to say anything. Each dodge, each maneuver, suddenly came with a little snap of his sword, not hard enough to break skin or do more than nick, even if they connected. They were teasing blows designed to anger an opponent and make them careless.

Drizzt, far from being angered, was impressed. It was a clever tactic, and in a genuine fight, especially one that might become dangerously prolonged, would give the Altmer a needed edge.

Drizzt changed tactics again, moving faster and more unpredictably, not forcing Gyrmallion into the unconscious defense of others this time, but making him react to an opponent who refused to stand still. They'd been moving before, but now he was going faster and wider, trying to flank Gyrmallion or get behind him. It proved exceptionally difficult; the lanky Altmer was just as agile as him, able to read his movements well enough to twist around and keep from being flanked.

Very skilled, Drelasa thought. Thalmor were skilled, yes, but this one far more so. She nodded. Nerevar was right.

Finally, Drizzt ended it. They'd been going at each other for a while, long enough to get a decent understanding of each other, if the grin on Gyrmallion's face was any indicator. He started to the left-then blurred to the right while Gyrmallion was still trying to block him on the left. The Altmer caught on faster than most to the infamous move known as the ghost step, and he'd almost twisted back to block an oncoming stroke from the right.

But he wasn't fast enough. Drizzt caught him, scything his legs out from under him. Unbelievably, Gyrmallion didn't fall all the way-he caught himself, and was almost upright again when he froze, Drizzt's blade by his throat. For half a second, they stared at each other. Then Gyrmallion smiled and lowered his blade. "Match."

Drizzt answered the smile and sheathed his blades, then offered his hand. He didn't really need to help the Altmer up, and they both knew it, but Gyrmallion accepted the hand and let the much shorter Drow pull him up.

Drelasa smiled as she turned to go. If there was one Altmer who could change the mind of an entire nation of suspicious mer-no, an entire _continent _of doubters-it was this one.

It was doubtful any of the Companions realized that the Altmer had been a Thalmor until a little while ago. It was also unlikely at this point that any of them cared, judging by their reaction. They'd seen an impressive fight between two skilled warriors-and the more astute of them had seen the skill and honor he'd displayed. It was likely that, were they asked, they would have happily accepted Gyrmallion into their ranks as a new Shield-Brother that night.


	22. Black Knight's Champion

**Black Knight's Champion**

Drelasa paused by Zak as she passed. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, glancing at her warily-though not quite as warily as he'd been before they sparred. "Better. I'm still...I don't know what that was, earlier, but it's...fading." He nodded toward Gyrmallion, who had somehow just managed to keep standing after receiving a friendly back-slap from Farkas. "That one… he's got some promise."

"Much." She said. "Enough so that he just might change how the world views his race. As to what happened earlier...Boethiah is being a bitch and I'm not sure why. Bloodthirsty and bitchy, yes, but never is she known to throw fights while they are being fought. I wish I knew more for you...and for my son."

"Might change the way this world views his race?" Zak smiled, his hard features briefly softening into fondness as he looked over at them. Gyrmallion and Drizzt were laughing together ruefully, the Altmer rubbing shoulders that were undoubtedly starting to get sore after the enthusiasm of the Companions. "That sounds familiar." He frowned, looked over at Drelasa. "I don't know anything about the gods of this world. But I think...that may need to change. And soon."

"I believe I am done sparring. I have a few moments, if you would like a quick overview." Drelasa offered.

"A quick overview would help, but I will need clarification later." He stood. "And after that...I don't want to risk it again. I'm probably done for the evening myself."

Drelasa motioned to a spot away from the warriors. "If you don't mind...it's been a nice day. I think I'd like to enjoy a few more moments of it before I start to make dinner."

He followed her, though it took him a moment to get settled. The marsh seemed to be bothering him, and he finally found a place where he could both watch her and keep an eye on the mist-draped channels and islands.

"There are seventeen Daedra Lords and nine Divines...though say eight if you are talking to a Thalmor or their supporters." Drelasa said. "I wouldn't say that Daedra were wholly evil or that Aedra are wholly good. They are...merely powerful beings that exist on a different level than us."

"That is...expected." Zak snorted. He wasn't going to get into any arguments with her, but he preferred that the gods leave him alone, particularly after getting away from Lolth.

"The biggest distinction is that Daedra had no connection in the creation of the world, whereas Aedra did," she said. "As I'm sure is the same everywhere, each god has a sphere of influence they are more inclined to look into. Aedra seem to be far more...subtle and distant in their influence. Daedra like to dig their fingers in. Their influence is felt heavily. The one you felt today was Boethiah, one of the three Daedra Lords my people look to. She is known as Deceiver of Nations, Queen of Shadows and Goddess of Destruction. Sounds grim; but she has also been known to ally with Stendarr, the Aedra of mercy and justice. A stern and often bloodthirsty mistress but when we needed her strength, she was happy to lend it."

He nodded slowly. "Who are the others?"

"Azura, Mephala, and Meridia are also not considered wholly evil. Azura and Mephala are the other two patrons of the Dunmer. Azura...is possibly the most merciful of all the Daedra Lords." Drelasa said. "Nocturnal, Sanguine, Clavicus Vile and Namira influence, but are not quite the troublemakers some of the others are. Peryite is the weakest and busies himself with pestilence. Sheogorath is completely insane, while his counterpart Jyggalag is nothing but order. Hircine is the Lord of the Hunt and werewolves. Malacath was created in...unfortunate circumstances, and is the patron of the orcs. Vaermina is the mistress of nightmares and her brother Hermaeus Mora is a hoarder of knowledge. Molag Bal you have heard about. Mehrunes Dagon was the mastermind of the Oblivion Crisis. Did not end well for him."

"Are there...any others?" He was still frowning, absently rubbing the base of his breastbone. It looked oddly like the gesture Ravenlight used when speaking of the Dov. "I don't...know if any of those were...responsible. For what _I_ felt. Boethiah might have been the one pulling at your son, but whatever I felt..."

"Tell me what you felt, as accurately as you can." Drelasa said, suddenly intensely curious.

He closed his eyes. "It started as...the battle-fury I know. Then it became...darker. Stronger. I felt..._angry_. At what, I couldn't...it _felt_ like the rage was directed at your son, but...not, at the same time. When those...creatures came and pinned us, something inside me was screaming at not being able to attack them. And when Ravenlight...when the dragon with her roared, expressing its own anger at Boethiah, and her hold faded, I felt...satisfied somehow." He shook his head. "I don't know...it was more intense than anything I'd felt before, except when I...when I knew I was willing to die for my son."

"A Dark Warrior, perhaps?" She asked.

He nodded. "That...sounds right."

Drelasa smiled. "I think I know what possessed you. And it is not a bad thing."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"There is a lesser god, an enemy of all Daedra Lords, save Sheogorath for some strange reason." She smiled. "A warrior who rides into battle on a golden stallion, accompanied by a pair of ravens, dressed in ebony armor and wielding a black sword. He rides into battle, a protector of all warriors. A strong soul, powerful and merciful. Does that sound better?"

His eyes widened. "I-_saw_ him. While passing through the portal. Just for a second. I didn't...realize it at the time." He let out a shaky breath, leaning back. "Why...me? If he has...chosen to possess me. Why _me_? I'm no devotee of his-or of any gods."

"My dear, Reymon Ebonarm is a god who is neither Aedra nor Daedra. He does his own thing, follows his own code." Drelasa said. "He is mercy, but eschews Stendarr. He is a warrior and knows all the bloodthirsty tendencies that go with, that but he is not like any of the warrior Daedra Lords. In fact, he will heartily go against them. He cares not for the squabbles of the gods but does demand they do what they are supposed to. He got on to the god of luck, Sai, for not doing his duty. He is his own man, however immortal. Have I described you?"

Slowly, half-stunned, Zak nodded.

Drelasa smiled at him. "You might feel most comfortable skulking on the sidelines while you get to know us, but you proved today that you will not hesitate to leave the sidelines and roar out what you consider is honorable. In this case, angry that a Daedra Lord was interjecting when she was not supposed to. You _are_ the protector of warriors. May the red rose bloom in your wake."

Zak rose, shaking his head. "I don't...I need to...process this." Without another word, he walked off, apparently at random. However, he moved into the marsh; in the same direction he'd been absently glancing toward during the entire conversation.

"And thus another web is woven." Drelasa murmured. "Mephala, I hope you do not overreach yourself in this."

* * *

As Drelasa entered the main body of the house, she found Catti-Brie, Serana, and Ravenlight grouped together and chatting, Catti-Brie nursing Alustra while Ravenlight stitched a silver moon-and-star into a shaped piece of supple black leather. Serana looked up when Drelasa came in, then sprang up and went to her, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you!" she whispered. "Oh-_thank you!_"

Drelasa hugged her back. "If this is what I think it's about...you two are beautiful together. And deserve every bit of happiness. I am but a small part in it."

"It is." Ravenlight was grinning. "Nevano probably shouldn't know until we've got him to the portico, but it felt decidedly unfair not to let Serana in on it. So, how are the combatants? No more trouble, I hope?"

"Nevano has scampered off somewhere, since he did _something_ to himself to get those winged twilights to come at his call. I will wring his neck if he did what I think he did." Drelasa took Serana by the hand and settled down with them. "Just as well, because Gyrmallion wished to spar with Nerevar. You don't get one without the other. _That_ would have gone badly. However, he and Drizzt absolutely awed the crowd. I think the Companions wish to steal the not-so-disgraced commander. Nevusa defeated Farkas in under five seconds and challenged the Khajiit...ahhh...Ashvana, I believe? Hand-to-hand. Devolved into a spat but Lucia handled that wonderfully. Wicked aim she has. Oh, and I discovered how Ebonarm can aid us."

Ravenlight nodded, rolling her eyes when Ashvana was mentioned. "That one does _not_ like to lose, and she will get pretty nasty if she thinks it'll happen. First time she was tested against Aela, I was afraid the werewolf was going to come out. And Gyrmallion's getting along with the Companions will be very helpful, because I strongly suspect that the _Blades_ will not be so happy about that...Serana heard something he told Nerevar that I want to ask him about myself." She lowered the leather. "And the Black Knight can be called then? How?"

"That's the best part, we don't have to call him. He's called himself." Drelasa shook her head. "We were right in that the gods were concerned in all this. Ebonarm has decided to manifest himself in one of our warriors. Zak, actually. It explains why he and Modyn did _not_ get on well in that spar without actually disliking each other."

"_Zak?!_" Ravenlight stared, then blinked. "That...make sense in a bizarre way, actually. I did tell you, didn't I, that Zak was...recently resurrected? He sacrificed his own life to save Drizzt when my brother wasn't yet thirty-which was a pretty good length of time ago." She shrugged. "I have no idea where all he went in the worlds beyond, mainly because he can't remember any of it...but he was there, in Sovngarde, when I fought Alduin the last time." She absently rubbed her left shoulder. "He and Firefall were the ones who pried me out of Alduin's mouth, actually, after I finally managed to deliver the death-stroke. It's more than possible he encountered Ebonarm there, and the Black Knight just...followed, when he was dragged back."

"He said he saw him in his way here through the portal." Drelasa said. "But it is possible Ebonarm has been following him for a while. Not that that made him feel better. He saw something in the swamp and went for it. I would have followed, as following things into the swamp is not a good thing but...there are a few eyes out there and I firmly believe he can look after himself handily."

"Especially if the Black Knight is with him." Ravenlight shook her head and whistled. "Wow. That's...going to take a little getting used to, on all fronts." She considered. "The marsh _can_ be dangerous, but at least this one isn't Black Marsh levels of nasty. No quicksand or sinkholes; nothing that a highly skilled warrior can't handle. He's...going to need to process this, though. Not exactly been one for _any_ gods since he was dragged back, not that I can blame him."

"He...fairly well embodied the Black Knight on his own." Drelasa did smile now at the memory. "I did enjoy the look of utter astonishment on his face when I laid it all out and asked if I had described him."

"There's truth to that. It won't stop it from being a shock." Ravenlight shrugged. "I couldn't think straight for half a _day_ when Drizzt told me what _I_ was-and I'm just the Daughter of Akatosh, not...possessed by him. Or halfway to an _avatar_."

"Not to mention a set of gods he's not familiar with. At all." Drelasa said. "Poor thing, but he has an attitude streak in him that reminds me of a rebellious adolescent. He will get his chin up in no time."

Ravenlight grunted a little. "We're warming up to each other; but honestly, when I first met him in the flesh I was...I'd liked him _much_ better in Sovngarde, I'll just say that." She ran another silver stitch through the leather. "Can't blame him for not wanting anything to do with gods or demons, though, after what he'd been through. Lolth...combines all the _worst_ traits of Namira, Molag Bal, and Mephala, and you can't get away from her, almost, in the Underdark."

"So I've heard...she makes Mephala _very_ peevish." Drelasa rolled her eyes. "Which makes me wonder if Mephala pulled a few strands of her web to bring Zak to Ebonarm's attention. It's hard to guess how she weaves her webs but I know she's been busy. How is that armor coming?"

"I will...spare you the opinions I formed of Mephala after carrying her blasted _blade_ for nearly two months." Ravenlight held out the leather front for her inspection. "I'm trying a few different designs for the Altmer's armor; need something that stands out enough so that they don't look like the Thalmor, and not just because they might be mistaken for enemies in the heat of battle otherwise. Be glad to show you and get your opinion later; this is obviously for Nevano." She grinned. "Vale panther hide; they're striped. I used a soot-based dye to darken the white stripes, but they'll silver through again after a few months."

"It's quite alright, darling. I'm more than familiar with the good and bad traits of Mephala. All opinions of her are very well deserved." Drelasa said. "Vale panther hmm?" She ran her fingers over the leather. "Oh that is beautiful."

"It's softer than normal leather, and more supple; but it also tans unusually strong. Trying to puncture it is more difficult than you might think." She held up the awl she'd used to pick out the design: it was made of ebony. "I commissioned a blacksmith to make this as part of a carving set years ago...so Drizzt could have something to make a flute out of a dragon's wing bone."

"A flute out of a dragon bone?" Drelasa asked.

"Oh, so _that's_ where it came from." Catti-Brie laughed. "The story never did come clear; I think he forgot that you went back home shortly after we found each other again, and that I didn't know everything he did."

"Did you bring it?" Ravenlight quirked an eyebrow at her. "I wouldn't call it a _relic_ of Azura's, but she did bless it. Gives true dreams." She contemplated. "Though...at this point, true dreams of what's going on in High Rock would probably feel more like they came from Vaermina instead of Azura. And yes, a dragon bone. He took the end of a wing bone from the first dragon he killed with me here in Skyrim."

"Ah, okay, that makes more sense." Drelasa smiled. "Azura loves dreams but tends to go opposite Vaermina. Fortunately."

"It's been beyond helpful more than once. Though why she didn't tell them what had happened to me when the Thalmor took me-or when the leader of the Dark Brotherhood kidnapped me in hopes of recruiting me-I'll never know." She shook her head.

"Still a Daedra Lord, no matter how merciful she can be." Drelasa said. "She gets what she wants, though what that may be is anyone's guess."

"That's certainly the truth." Ravenlight tied off the last stitch and held it up. "What do you think?"

The design gleamed in the dark hide, the silver thread running seamlessly through the moon and star. Simple, but elegant at the same time.

"It's perfect." Drelasa truly meant that. Ravenlight had gotten a beautiful design that perfectly suited Nevano's tastes. She smiled broadly, imagining the look on his face when he saw.

"I've got the rest ready to fasten together downstairs," she said. "That leather covering was _really_ getting worn and shabby, it almost didn't resist when I stripped it off. The scales are impeccable, though. I don't know who did that work, but it's gorgeous."

"A blacksmith in Mournhold, from what he told me." Drelasa tapped her fingers, trying to remember fully. "Something about finding an apprentice and dragging adamantium up from the ruins beneath the city."

Ravenlight shook her head. "I wouldn't know, in that case. Mournhold is in Vvardenfell, right? I'd never been there until we found the Card'Vel." She stood. "Do you need to start dinner now, or do you have time to come down and see what I'm thinking about for our Altmer? I have one suit put together completely."

"Mournhold is the old capital of Morrowind, on the mainland. Was destroyed...several times but most recently during the Argonian Invasion. In the process of being rebuilt now." Drelasa stood. "I have time. We have enough left over I'm mostly just going to add to it."

"Ah. I may have been there before; not that I remember much of that time." She shook her head. "Come see."

"By the way," she added as they headed down to the cellar, "Veleth might be pleased to learn that Nevano's boots are no longer rank enough to clear a room if thrown down carelessly."

"Thank the gods." Drelasa muttered.

"I honestly hadn't realized how bad it was until I'd removed the bottoms; they were getting too worn to stay on. That stench hit my nose and I had the lining ripped out and stuffed in the foundry before I knew what I was doing." She shook her head. "They've got new deerskin hide lining them. I didn't replace most of the outer shell, just the parts that were the most badly worn, and I made sure to use leather that matched the old one." She guided Drelasa through the sleeping room and into the back, where her smithing room was.

"He's a mess. I'm hoping he'll be...more interested in caring for himself once married." Drelasa smiled gently. "Gives him one hell of a reason."

* * *

A mannequin stood by the cellar wall, marks on the floor showing where it had been dragged from its original spot. The armor on it was similar in design to regular Elven armor: tight-fitting and light, meant to be moved in, with sweeping designs that might be feathers or leaves across it. But even at first glance, no one would mistake it for anything worn by the Thalmor.

The underlying leather typical of Elven armor here was the same pebbled skin that Drelasa remembered seeing on Ravenlight's dragon armor, and while the scales were chased in ebony and moonstone, rather than steel, there were several distinctive large dragon scales worked in at chest and hip. Rather than the large gorget typical of the armor, this had a sort of coif that went beneath the helmet to shield the neck, worked in silvery chain; Drelasa noticed what was almost a bolt of the stuff, hanging out of a chest to the side. Ravenlight apparently made chainmail in her spare time, so that she had it on hand when she wanted it.

The scales and feathering were as distinctive as the rest of it: made partly from moonstone, and partly from a blend of steel and ebony, giving it a most striking appearance. A few more dragon scales appeared on the boots and gloves, almost more as decoration than protection-though she didn't doubt they would offer plenty of protection as well.

The item that looked almost unchanged was the helmet: but that, too, was worked not merely of moonstone, but traced out with ebony to give it a striking, and very distinctive, appearance.

"Amazing, darling." Drelasa walked around it. "Elven design but a different breed. Putting them well on the path away from the Thalmor. Heh, we will need to call them something else. In any case, I am so impressed with your skill. I know many smiths who'd turn every color of the rainbow in jealousy over this level of craftsmanship."

Ravenlight flushed in pleasure. "I've had some good teachers," she said. "And lots of practice. I needed something they'd be used to...but at the same time, would be different enough from the others to make it clear they were on our side." She carefully stroked one side of it. "The dragon scales were the most...distinctive thing I could think of, that and the ebony. I need to make something for Zak, too, and pure ebony plate _won't_ work. He needs something that'll let him move."

"Ebony chain? Or smaller plates on leather?" Drelasa asked.

"Possibly both," Ravenlight mused ."I'll ask him, find out which he'd prefer." She paused. "Might do the same for Drizzt, too."

"If you need a pattern, we can probably convince Modyn to part with the Ebony Mail for a short while." Drelasa said. "It's in a very interesting form this time."

"Though probably with fewer spikes," Ravenlight muttered. "If Zak is...partnered somehow with Ebonarm, I don't think using Boethiah's armor as a pattern would be the wisest move. I'll take a look, though; see what inspiration I can glean."

"Merely something to provoke ideas. No need for another blow up." Drelasa sighed. "I _do_ worry about them. Nevano being Azura's champion is one thing. She loves her followers and tends to nurture them. But Modyn and Zak face much hotter temperaments. Neither of them best pleased with their situation. And there's not much I can do to help them. I can only help give insight. It truly...is difficult watching them struggle."

"I don't know how to help myself," Ravenlight admitted. "Akatosh is...it's a strange relationship between us, and it's different from the Daedra. Meridia is still infuriatingly _smug_ whenever I make use of the Dawnbreaker or call on her for anything, though she answers faster than almost any of the others. Azura I don't have a problem with...even Nocturnal, believe it or not. Most of the rest, though..." She shook her head. "They've all found opportunity to try and drag me in their direction at one point or another, and it's through sheer stubbornness that I haven't given in. Some of them are worse than others. Dagon backed off once he realized I was as deeply connected with Akatosh as I am, and Sanguine's left me alone after the..._incident_ that won me the Sanguine Rose."

"The House of Troubles are always on the bad end, though I'm truly glad Dagon had the sense to back off. I suppose being humiliated as he was perhaps made him smarter. I wish that had impressed on the other corner but I guess not." Drelasa said. "Ebonarm...I can only spout what I know from reading. The rest is...fairly unknown. Boethiah is dangerous and powerful. One you want on your side but at arm's length. I hope they continue to respect your stubbornness for they value power and you hold a great deal of it."

"I've given them reason to. The way I slammed my heels in with Hermaeus Mora probably left _skid marks_ through half of Oblivion." She shook her head. "But, speaking of Azura and Meridia..." She picked up a small box and opened it to reveal twin rings. One was silver, set with a single sapphire, and etched through with tiny designs of crescent moons and stars. The other was gold, set with a blood-red ruby. "Actually made these first."

"Oh, darling, these are _gorgeous!_ _Merdekhes!_" Drelasa gushed.

"I'm wanting to enchant them both," Ravenlight said, smiling down at them. "Fire protection for Serana, of course; nearly everything I make for her shields her from flame. What should it be for Nevano?"

"Hmm, there's a tough one." Drelasa tapped her lip. "He's naturally resistant to fire, he's immune to all disease, don't need him resistant to lightning so we can fry him when he acts up..."

"A minor healing charm, then? Often as he gets hurt, that could only help."

"Needs a full protection bubble!" Drelasa laughed.

"Well, I don't know if I can do that...but I can make sure he stays alive!" Ravenlight closed the box and set it down. "Erandur should be arriving here in a day or two, and I'll contact the College about Aranea tonight."

Drelasa couldn't stop her excited grin. "I cannot tell you how excited I am for this. They deserve this so much."

Ravenlight suddenly burst into laughter. "I'm suddenly glad I didn't take him to see Paarthurnax first!"

Drelasa swiped at a few tears that threatened to fall. "I was hoping he'd be able to have _friends_. This is more than I could have hoped for. I can barely stop myself from shaking when I see how happy they look together. It's all thanks to you, darling."

"No, it's-" Ravenlight managed to steady herself. "Believe me, I am _more_ than happy about this. Serana's been trying to hide it, but she was terrified of what would happen when everyone she knew was gone herself. I'm just imagining this situation reversed, and Nevano falling," she almost couldn't continue for a moment, "for a ten-thousand-year-old ancient old dragon!"

Drelasa bit her lip and looked away, shoulders shaking. "More like he'd spend his time pulling stupid pranks. I think it's better for poor Paarthurnax!"

"Possibly." Ravenlight shook her head and wiped away a few tears herself. "He would _not_ make a good Greybeard, that's for certain. All right." She straightened. "Well, the Companions know to fend for themselves, and while they're not great cooks, they can at least catch deer and fish and scorch it into edibility over a campfire. But you and I have...what, ten? Twelve? People to cook for, so we'd probably best go up and see what we can put together for them."

"I quit counting." Drelasa giggled. "I'm afraid we might wipe the swamp out before too long!"

"Eh, the Reach isn't that far off, we can always fish in the harbor, and Haafingar Hold's got plenty of deer and elk itself." She shrugged. "And mammoths, but hunting them ticks off the giants, so unless the giant in question has already been attacking humans, I don't bother with them."

"Please...do me an enormous favor, pun not intended there, and _do not tell Nevusa or the boys about mammoths._" Drelasa nearly got a tic in her eye over that. "Giants maybe they'll have half a brain with. After all, we have stone giants in the mountains but mammoths? Those idiots won't be able to resist."

Ravenlight considered, then shuddered. "I will obey. We don't need to try to put them back together after their first encounter with one of _those_."

"Mephala, Boethiah and Azura help me I just might leave them where they fall." She rubbed her head. "Then I'd summon their spirits on the coldest, windiest days just to remind them of their stupidity..." Drelasa jerked up straight. "Oh...Oh! I have...a bloody brilliant idea!"

"What's that?"

"Might be a bit difficult...we've never met, it'll be hard to find him. He might not hear me..." Drelasa murmured quickly to herself. "It'll have to be a proper one...though I don't have _him_. Oh what did Nevano tell me of him so I can help guide him here?"

"Who are you calling?"

Drelasa seemed to come back to reality a bit. "Did Nevano ever tell you what happened in Chorrol? Why he hates the Thalmor so much, recent events not included?"

Ravenlight shook her head. "Not a word."

Drelasa pointed to a chair. "It's a story. I think you need to know to get a bit of insight into things."

Ravenlight sat, listening.

"When Nevano was rescued from slavery, he was on death's door. He said he remembered not having the strength to even move while lying still. I don't think I need to tell the state of emaciation one has to be in to get to that point." Drelasa said. "But he was rescued because the Fighters Guild had, quite literally, stumbled across the place. It was set deep in the Great Forest, away from the main road. Right between two major cities. Most don't stray from the road so it went unnoticed. It was the champion of the Fighters Guild who discovered it, a Dunmer by the name Modryn Oreyn. Oreyn never explained why, but he refused to allow anyone to take Nevano. Instead, he took him back home to Chorrol."

"By Nevano's own admission, he was a wild child. Didn't trust anyone, didn't like anyone...only Oreyn had any semblance of control over him." Drelasa continued. "In an effort to help Nevano learn to control himself, he did the exact opposite of what most would do and, to the horror of the entire north western part of Cyrodiil, gave Nevano a sword and trained him, and trained him hard. Oreyn, according to Nevano, was not an easy man. Gruff, short-tempered, and strong enough to heave a Nord out of the guild hall when provoked. He allowed no error in training."

"Wonders never cease, it worked. Nevano did so well that he was finally able to join the guild once he was old enough. Oreyn was quietly proud as Nevano took on increasingly difficult contracts and completing them. Nevano...admitted he looked forward to seeing that look when he came home. Neither said it, too stubborn I think, but it was a rather gruff father-son relationship. Which was why being framed and exiled to Morrowind hurt him so badly. He had been almost terrified to return, after over three years away. I had to damn near throw him to the border. However, he returned, saying it was the first time that grumpy old mer had ever hugged him like that."

Ravenlight smiled, imagining the reunion.

"Then, the Great War happened. Half of Cyrodiil was on fire. Nevano was wild to get home, make sure it was okay, but he couldn't break through safely. The fighting was too thick to break through. Finally, word reached us that the war was over. A treaty signed. Nevano was off like an arrow. I didn't see him again for over twenty five years."

The Bosmer inhaled sharply. "Chorrol-I remember. I was...I was actually there."

"You were?"

She nodded. "I told you about my wanderlust...it was driving me from one end of Tamriel to the other. By and large, I avoided towns during my wandering; too hard to leave when the desire to struck. But I needed supplies, and I thought the danger was over. Chorrol wasn't large; I thought I could risk it." She shivered. "I...barely made it out alive. A combination of archery skills and agility kept me out of the worst of it, but there were several times I was almost engulfed in the fire itself. I was keeping to the rooftops. Tried to...tried to save who I could. But when I ran out of arrows, I couldn't..." She looked away. "I made it over the wall and fled. Never looked back."

"You barely missed crossing paths with Nevano. Though it was best you fled. For that attack was horrible and unnecessary and what happened after..." Drelasa said sadly. "What happened next...we pieced together from what Armigers told us. Nevano arrived after the initial attack happened. The Thalmor were headed to Hammerfell...Chorrol was...in the way. Nevano managed to sneak his way to the guild hall but...he was too late. Oreyn was dead. Killed defending the innocents in the city. Nevano lost all semblance of control. Only a single Thalmor escaped the city, one Nevano deliberately spared. We were told he went...cold then. Hardly any emotion, hardly said anything. He saw Oreyn was burned as we do to our dead and then he disappeared. No one knew where."

Ravenlight nodded. "That...he told me a little of. And what that Thalmor became." She shook her head. "Stupid and unnecessary...like so _many_ of their actions. No one escaped the purged villages, save for those small and quiet and very, very lucky; those like my youngest brother Ruesong. I don't know...I don't know why they did it."

"Because they could. They didn't _need_ any other reason. They could and they enjoyed it. May their souls rot in a pit of boiling daedra shit." Drelasa said viciously, her emotions getting the better of her. "So many lives needlessly lost. All to prove that they were better than everyone else. All for pride. Fecking pride." She took a long moment. "I never got to meet Oreyn. Nevano hardly speaks of him now. It still hurts too much. Nor does Nevano dare summon an ancestor spirit. Our people are intertwined deeply with our ancestors. I...want to try to summon Oreyn. I already was going to summon Jorun, no way he'd miss Nevano getting married. It's just going to be damned hard because we've never met."

Ravenlight pursed her lips. "I'll ask Serana to try to talk to him about Oreyn. Heaven knows she'll probably know how to...tease out that splinter, as it were, without it hurting more. If she knows, she'll be able to help summon him."

"Nevano buries these things deep but he's not the sort to be able to handle that. You saw how it manifests." Drelasa sighed. "Jorun knew how to tease him into just talking. I can't always get him to talk. He doesn't like to burden others with it."

"She's got a few burdens of her own. Pretty painful ones. And it took some careful work on our part to get her to open up about them." Ravenlight sighed. "Except for her phobia of fire, and _that_ took me taking a direct blast from a Blood Dragon. Didn't really hurt me-Blood Dragon flames aren't that hot, and I'd taken some resist-fire potions before, so I didn't dodge the blast-but she...it was the first time she willingly touched me, and she nearly broke my ribs, she was so relieved to see I was all right."

"They seem to be able to navigate things together. Like they can understand it but can help the other at the same time. Strong where the other needs help."

Ravenlight smiled and nodded. "Like me and Drizzt. I'll go tell her about Oreyn and ask her to find out what she can from Nevano."

"That would be wonderful." Drelasa smiled.

* * *

As they came up from the cellar, they found most of their guests already gathered inside-most of them dripping wet. A squall had blown in unexpectedly from the sea and chased everyone into shelter; the Companions had gone to their tents, while everyone else had crowded indoors. Ravenlight took a quick headcount, and noticed that only two were missing: Nevano and Zak.

"Oh dear. Don't tell me they're still off in the marsh while it's storming?"

The others shrugged a bit sheepishly.

Drizzt looked alarmed. Apparently, he hadn't realized where his father had gone when he went off to be by himself. "Do you want me to go look for them?"

Ravenlight exhaled and ran a hand through her hair. "No," she decided. "They're both strong enough to get out of pretty much any trouble they run into out there. However, I don't care if they can't actually get sick from this. When they come back, I am dosing _both_ of them with a fairly nasty disease preventative."

"Normally I would say don't bother with Nevano but...he might deserve those effects." Drelasa pointed randomly at those standing around. "You, you and you. Come help in the kitchen."

Ravenlight directed a few others to help with setting the table and finding spare chairs, before catching Gyrmallion. "And you...I need to talk with you privately. Drizzt, you come too."

* * *

A private spot was fairly difficult to find with the house as full as it was; but they went down to the cellar, closing the door tight behind them. Gyrmallion looked mildly apprehensive. "What's...wrong?"

"Not really wrong," Ravenlight said, "but there's something I need to know. Serana overheard some of your conversation with Nerevar." She paused, trying to figure out how best to go about it. "Were you aware that I am reforming the Blades?"

"There were rumors," he answered. "Nothing ever confirmed." He paused for a moment. "I don't...hate the Blades," he said at last. "I _was_ the one who led the campaign against them, but I didn't...lose myself to hatred of them until I believed they'd killed my family. I've since discovered that my...my hatred was misplaced."

* * *

"Oh, Elealda..." Drelasa poked her head out. "Can you be a dear and make sure Boethiah didn't do something catastrophically stupid with that gash on Modyn's chest?"

Veleth muttered a curse at the mention of that. He had had more than enough of people messing with it today.

"Certainly, Drelasa." She cornered Veleth. "I'm just going to look," she said firmly. "Might poke and prod a little, but unless something severe has happened, I shouldn't need to re-stitch it or anything else. Take off your shirt and let me see."

Veleth was more than a little irritable. It felt like he had spent half the day being told to take his shirt off. Still, he obeyed. The alternative would only make everyone hiss worse.

Elealda bent forward, examining the long, red mark, gently prodding it in a few places. Finally, she straightened, running her hand across the length of it with a healing spell. "That should take care of it," she said calmly. "She was...far rougher than I'd have preferred, and it might be sore for a few days, but it's healed and doesn't look as though it's only external healing. And I don't think you tore anything while you were sparring. This should be taken care of." She smiled a little. "You can put your shirt back on now."

"Would be the first time anyone ever accused Boethiah of not being overly rough." He pulled it back on. Sore wasn't an issue. This wasn't too bad.

* * *

Down in the cellar, the examination was continuing. "So...just like that?" Ravenlight asked. "No...lingering irritation at...wasting so much of your time, or anything like that?"

"No. I told you already; I'd respected the Blades." Gyrmallion was starting to get a little irritated. "What is this about? I'll tell you what happened, if that's what you're after. All of it."

Ravenlight sighed and shook her head. "No. I believe you. That's the thing. I believe you, _and_ I'm willing to trust you. However, we will be _working_ with the reformed Blades, and I need to know for a fact that I can trust you and yours around them...because I am going to have my hands full making sure I can trust _Delphine_ around you and yours."

"Oh." Gyrmallion looked a little alarmed at that. "Delphine...yes, that...that could be a problem."

"She hates the Thalmor as much as, if not _more_ than, Nevano-and if you and she ran across each other at any point during the War, she will _definitely_ remember you."

* * *

Back upstairs, Nevano slipped back in as if he had never been gone, barely even wet from the storm.

Serana found him almost instantly. "Oh, there you are. We were wondering...did you see Zak out there anywhere?"

"Saw him, yes." Nevano smiled at her. "I tried to keep watch on him since he looked like a troll had clubbed him over the head but something did _not_ let me do that for long."

"Something...like what?" She frowned. "Drelasa said he'd...learned something that bothered him, about Ebonarm? But I don't know if I understood all of it."

"Ebonarm? She said that?" Nevano tilted his head. "Well...makes sense."

"How so?"

"Ebonarm isn't fond of Daedra Lords. Not even Azura, if you can believe that." Nevano shrugged. "Explains why he and Veleth nearly killed each other."

She looked alarmed. "I didn't know it was that bad." A sound from the back of the house caught her attention, and she turned. "Oh...they're back. Ah, that's not good."

Nevano followed her gaze, frowning.

Ravenlight, Drizzt, and Gyrmallion had just come out of the cellar, all of them looking grim-and Gyrmallion's face had a decidedly alarmed look on it, as well. Ravenlight spotted them, lifted a hand, and beckoned them over as she headed for the kitchen, where most of the others had gathered.

"Nnnn, not happy faces." Nevano wrinkled his nose as he went over. "Something tells me a twin didn't cause that."

"Not even close." Ravenlight rubbed her forehead. "We have a _big_ problem. Delphine and Gyrmallion crossed paths three times during the war. Once, he almost didn't survive; twice, she almost didn't. There is _no_ chance she won't remember him, and Delphine is worse than you are, Nevano, when it comes to the Thalmor."

"Blades?"

"Yep. She's the new Grandmaster. She and Esbern were the last surviving members; I've been helping them rebuild over the past five years." Ravenlight sighed. "And she is not always the most...reasonable when it comes to old grudges. I argued with her and Esbern for _five hours straight_ over whether or not I should kill Paarthurnax. Over the crimes he committed during the _Dragon War_."

"Kinda of explained Blades in a nutshell there. Not reasonable." Nevano shrugged.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what the situation had been like in the Reach before she took an interest in smoothing things over between the Nords and the Forsworn." Ravenlight shook her head. "It's really only because of them that reaching out to Madanach and his kin is still even feasible. But if she catches sight of _any_ of our Altmer, let alone Gyrmallion..."

"I've known a lot of Blades for a long time." Nevano said. "They don't like having their minds changed. However...I think I can help."

"That will be...greatly appreciated." They all relaxed slightly.

And of course, that was when the door banged open, and Zak came in. Where Nevano had somehow escaped even being wet, the Drow was soaked to the skin, water streaming off him in rivulets and pooling on the floor. He almost didn't seem to realize it, though; his eyes focused somewhere on the distance. As he entered the main room, he blinked, apparently waking up; then he looked around until he spotted Drizzt and headed straight for him, ignoring anyone in his path.

"Just promise me you won't crawl up my back about my methods." Nevano looked over. "I'll refrain from saying it just yet..."

Zak stopped and said something in a language that had more sibilants in it than a den of angry snakes. Drizzt went rigid.

"Something tells me that isn't a good thing..." Nevano murmured so only Serana heard him.

"You're certain?" Drizzt asked.

Zak blinked, then nodded. "Yes. I couldn't figure out where they were...but they were there, all right, and if..." He grimaced, "_he's_ right, they're planning to attack here tonight."

Ravenlight stiffened. "What are?"

Zak and Drizzt spoke at the same time. "Vampires."

"Well..._vith_." Nevano said and glanced at Serana. "I guess Trueflame and Hopesfire have to work today after all."

"We've got time to prepare, though," Ravenlight said. "Thanks, Zak; they were probably planning to take us off-guard tonight, and they'd have had a pretty good chance at it, too. But the squalls here are over too quickly for them to try to get through it-and at this time of the year, we've got a few more hours until sundown. So, Drelasa, if you don't mind; supper may be late and a little sub-par...but it'll mean we survive the night."

"It'll be the sort that's quick, gives energy...just might be a bit tasteless. On it!" Drelasa called out.

* * *

**(And the quiet time is over. On to action!)**


	23. Preemptive Attack

**Preemptive Attack**

Midnight rolled in; quiet, calm, and streaked with clouds. The wind had briefly tugged at the mist over the marsh; but it had eventually died down. The house was quiet; the lights had gone dark. The camp beside it was also quiet, save for some grumbling snores.

And the dark forms began to slip out of the marsh, sneaking, careful and silent.

Their Ancient was leading them. He was old. Perhaps not so old as the Volkihar had been, in their pride; but he'd seen centuries come and go, and he'd kept his coven close and safe. But now...they had been called out. Molag Bal himself had commanded it. Their lord would rise to his rightful seat of power, after eons uncounted, and take his faithful up with him...but it was not certain. And those huddled together in this...ill-defended place-they were all that stood between Bal and his ascension.

So they would be destroyed. It was as simple as that.

Pride was an interesting thing. Pride could be used to unify, to make a group or nation stronger. Pride would unite them and drive them to fight, harder and faster, against seemingly insurmountable odds. But too much pride tipped the scales too far. Instead of sharpening, it dulled the mind, clouding judgement and pushing sense to the side. Such was it that pride insisted that the house was asleep. Pride declared that they were superior, that they had succeeded in approaching unseen. Had pride hesitated for an instant, it would have noticed many sets of odd pinpoints of lights watching them in all colors. Intense, wary and even, a little eager.

All that was left was to wait the first strike. Even the frogs in the swamp had gone silent to watch.

There would be blood soon...so much of it...he couldn't wait. The Ancient signaled to the Mistwalkers to move in, neutralize the dangerous assets inside, and open the way for the rest of them. The four of them lunged forward, two for the house, the other two toward the camp.

And crossed over the first line of defensive runes Drelasa and Ravenlight had ringed the area with. Fire erupted under their feet, the force of the runes sending the now-flaming Mistwalkers flying into the air. It was a perfect, clear signal for the warriors _behind_ the vampires hiding in the swamp to burst from cover, weapons drawn.

The hours before sunset had not been wasted by any of them. Defensive spells ringed the house; and the warriors had only been waiting for that signal to attack. Zak, Drizzt, Nevano, Veleth and Serana slammed into the vampires from the back. Drizzt and Zak had coated their blades with several layers of a particularly nasty fire-weakness poison: which meant that, even if their strokes didn't kill their targets, any follow-up from Trueflame or Hopesfire, let alone the Dawnbreaker, turned the creatures into torches where they stood.

On the roof, three figures rose, bows in hand: Ravenlight and the Bosmer Companions. Ravenlight let out a shrill whistle: in response, Zak and Drizzt called on their innate magic, wreathing the vampires in faerie fire, and making them clear targets for the waiting archers.

Veleth's eyes glowed like coals in the dark and fire spread from under his feet. Something seemed to writhe in his eyes as he closed in fast, far too fast for someone his size and heavier armor. On the other side, red and blue flames erupted and traveled up Nevano's arms as he dove in, his strikes seemingly independent of each other.

Drizzt and Zak were fighting side-by-side, their ability to sense what the other was doing keeping them safely out of the way of each other as they went after the vampires. Serana kept away from all of them, hurling ice and lightning into the vampires, when she wasn't dealing sharp, heavy strokes from the Dawnbreaker.

Arrows fell from above, not quite a _hail_ from only three bows, but certainly a helpful assistance. The two Bosmer were using regular Elven war-bows, sending arrows stinging down into their enemies. Ravenlight, though she preferred the power of Auri-El's Bow against vampires, agreed that unexpected bright flashes of light would be just as disorienting to her allies as to her enemies. But Breatheater had a power of its own, and coupled with her dragonbone arrows...well, when her arrows fell, even Mistwalkers noticed.

Usually when Nevano traveled with Veleth, he relied on Bonebiter, providing backup while Veleth devastated whatever was in front of him. His two swords hadn't gotten much use, especially since Drizzt had been with him. _There_ was some skill and speed! Between finesse and sheer strength, Bonebiter had been the wiser choice. Still, it felt good to use them again, Trueflame in his right hand and Hopesfire in his left. Nerevar, far stronger in the right, lent his skill, allowing Nevano to fully focus on his left hand. The disconnect of styles thoroughly confused his vampire opponent, who didn't know when to dodge or duck. Unfortunately for him, the wickedly sharp swords sliced off more than just a small chunk with every hit. The vampire didn't last very long until, with a surge of annoyance from Nerevar, a head went bouncing away without its body.

A spray of blood splashed over him but not from the body slumping in front of him. Nevano glanced over his shoulder to see Veleth nearly slash one in half, only the spine catching his sword just barely enough to prevent it. He ripped his sword free, sending more blood flying. Though his eyes were nearly spitting sparks, Nevano was pleased to see he seemed completely in control. Maybe his own walk in the swamp had done him some good.

The Ancient watched with fury as his coven was slowly torn apart in front of him. Somehow, their prey had not been not caught off-guard: not taken by silent surprise, and as a result, _centuries_ of work was being undone in front of him. His mouth gaped wide, revealing his long, needle-sharp teeth as he inhaled...and _screamed_.

It wasn't as terrifying as the thrall's scream had been, back at the ruin. But there was a potent power in the scream of a vampire, especially one over a few centuries old, and the fighters staggered, shaken by the sound and the primal hatred in the cry.

But it had only minor effect on an older vampire. Before it could follow its cry with an attack, Serana was between it and the others, wreathed in darkness stretching out behind her like wings. It halted as it saw her, her eyes glowing, her mouth widening-and then she screamed back.

Nevano felt a grin stretch across his face as he watched the old vampire's face just fall when Serana shrieked back at him, firmly putting him in his place. Just watching her stand in front of him like that made his heart pound faster. When she screamed back, he staggered with the rest of them but not quite for the same reason.

"You are one of us!" the Ancient snarled, its voice barely human any longer. "You go against His call? You dare to rebel against Molag Bal?"

Serana snarled back. "I am _not_ one of you. I never have been-and I never will be! And to Bal, and to _any_ of his creatures who dare to try to hurt my friends, my family, those I love-I will stand against them, and you _will not succeed!_"

Veleth gave Nevano a slightly withering look. A battlefield was no place to have that goofy grin.

The Ancient's eyes widened. Then it shrieked again and lunged at her. Serana met it, and the two of them whirled together, tearing and snapping like a pair of fighting saber cats.

Veleth kicked Nevano. "Would you pay attention around you? She can't kick its ass if she's distracted because you got bit!"

* * *

Not all of the coven had been caught by the ambush, or the defensive runes, and those who escaped ran for two places: the tents of the Companions, and the house. They fared no better. Aela, in werewolf form, exploded from the first tent, ripping the first two in half before they knew she was there. And the others were close behind: Ashvana with twin daggers, Gen and Sine hideous in their Forsworn gear, Farkas and Vilkas with blades flashing.

More defensive spells greeted the ones who attempted to break through to the house: Drelasa and Catti-Brie stood in the entry room, looking out the windows: lightning and fire flashed from their hands in swift succession, incinerating anything that got close. A small herd of cats, their fangs unusually large, streaked by in a panic, chased by a large, sleek dog.

A few-just a few-managed to slip around the back of the house. There was an entrance there, unguarded. Or so it seemed-until they slipped inside.

That was when they found a group of Altmer waiting for them. Altmer who had a score to settle with vampires. The room was not so small that the four warriors got in each other's way. Nor was it so large that any of the vampires had a chance to make it past them. And Gyrmallion, in particular, had some aggression to take out.

A few vampires had just about enough of this nonsense and started to retreat into the swamp. The mists swirled up in thick clouds to envelop them and soft whispers reached their ears...just as a handful of angry spirits mobbed them, followed very closely by two heavily tattooed and scarred warriors that seemed a mirror image of each other.

When the battle finally ended, none of the attacking vampires had escaped.

* * *

"How's that for a vampire welcoming committee?" Nevano laughed, Trueflame and Hopesfire flaring in response.

"It's a good sign." Serana rose, spitting fragments of flesh and dust out of her mouth. "Granted, this was just a coven, not a clan...but it was a strong coven. Old, with many members." She looked up for a moment, then back at Nevano. "Test or true assault, either way, we came through."

"Just gotta keep shaking it up. Then they'll never know what to expect." Nevano grinned.

Ravenlight slid lightly down the shingles, dropped to the roof of the kitchen, and from there hopped to the ground, avoiding landing on any of the plants in her garden. "Anyone hurt?" she called.

She knew that her group consisted of highly skilled warriors. She also knew that getting off unscathed in a fight against an entire coven of vampires would be...more than unusual, to say the least.

Nevano looked himself over. "Few claw and teeth marks. Nothing serious."

"And likely won't be serious for you." Ravenlight called healing light into her hand, casting it into him. "Anyone else? Drizzt, Zak? Serana?"

"Not at all." Nevano winked at Serana. "Can get all the love bites I want and it still won't bother me."

This time, she somehow _did_ blush, though no one was entirely sure how.

"_Essiel_," Drizzt called, ignoring them, "Zak's hurt."

Ravenlight hurried over. Zak was standing-but part of her wondered if the reason he was able to was because Drizzt was supporting him. She cast a magelight to see the injury and gasped: something had torn through his leather armor, tearing a long gash both through the armor and his back. Her hands filled with light, and she poured it into him. "That may need more than Restoration magic," she said grimly. "And you've lost a _lot_ of blood."

Drelasa came running out with Elealda, seeing far too much gold light flaring up to be comfortable staying indoors.

"Something clawed Zak, right through his armor," Ravenlight explained. "Don't know when he took the wound, either; he's lost a lot of blood."

"What in Oblivion?" Drelasa murmured, looking over the marks. "I didn't think any of them had claws like this except the big one Serana took on."

"He didn't have claws like that, either." Serana came over, frowning as she looked at the wound. "I didn't see...I have no idea what could have caused that."

"This isn't vampire but there's no other body around here." Drelasa didn't look up from digging in a small bag, handing Elealda a larger jar containing powder. "This'll stop the rest of the bleeding. Boys! Pair off and look around! Something is taking advantage of the vampire attack."

Drizzt and Ravenlight exchanged a horrified look. Then, as one, they turned and ran for the back room of the house.

Drelasa focused on Zak, dusting the wound with the powder that had a particularly… potent scent. "Chitin." Drelasa explained. "Crab and Shalk. Stops bleeding quick."

He grunted a little, but didn't move, his face set.

"Easy, darling, we'll get you patched up." Drelasa said. "Not so jagged. You'll have a scar but it'll lie flat at least. Won't catch on your armor. Did you see what clawed you?"

He shook his head. "Came up from behind. Felt something hit me; didn't know it had gone through. Didn't see anything when I turned."

"No sound or smell stood out?"

"Can't remember." He grunted, but held still, as she brushed against a particularly ragged bit. "No time to think in battle."

A shout suddenly rang out from the back. "Serana, Nevano, Veleth! Get in here now, the damn thing got inside! Gyrmallion's got it pinned, but it's not dying!"

Veleth and Nevano shared a quick look and took off like a shot.

* * *

Inside, the creature struggled against its restraint. 'Pinned' was right: the Altmer had rammed his sword all the way through the creature and into the wall behind it, nailing it to the beams. He was standing out of range of its claws, panting: his borrowed Elven armor had stood up against the worst of the claws, but his face was striped with blood, and it had pierced through the leather jerkin at his left shoulder.

It was undoubtedly kin to the creature they had killed at Jorun's grave, only larger, uglier, and with nastier claws. It snarled at them as they entered, flailing, trying to pull itself loose, and trying to reach them with its claws.

Veleth's eyes nearly spat flames and he gripped his sword tighter.

"Should have known." Nevano muttered.

"Move." Veleth growled through gritted teeth, his skin starting to darken.

Panting, Gyrmallion obeyed, leaving a trail of blood droplets as he did. The two other Altmer, standing with weapons at the ready, also moved, leaving the way clear for Veleth.

Nevano kept them back. There were moments where one should step in and cool that rage and other moments where he should just shut up and stay out of the way. This was the latter.

Veleth looked at the beast, the air shimmering around him. "How many more of you _children_ still live?"

It grinned nastily at him, baring jagged fangs. "More than you can handle. One for every day of Vivec's marriage."

Veleth didn't rise to the bait. Surprising, given the rage he was in. "Eighty and eight." Then he returned the grin, just as nasty. "Quite a drop from the thousands that were said to exist. A simple spear proved to be their undoing."

It snarled at him, evidently not having an answer for that sort of it turned its gaze past him, looking first at Drizzt, then Gyrmallion. "They won't live. Either of them."

"Explain." The air became hotter and it almost seemed like there was fire behind Veleth's teeth. His voice changed, echoing despite there being no way for it to, another's voice overlaying his.

"Did you think that _malice_ was limited only to Alduin?" It laughed, watching the way Drizzt suddenly paled.

"My patience grows thin." The voices said through Veleth. "Speak more plain or your tongue shall be a treat for the Hungers."

It grinned nastily. "_He_ knows what I mean...don't you, _Drow_?" With a sudden lunge, it tore itself free, springing at Veleth.

In one sure, swift movement, Veleth lopped its head off. "Snakemount awaits you. The pits always need new toys."

"Malice..." Drizzt was starting to tremble. He wheeled, turning to Gyrmallion. "Who else? He said 'they.' Who else was hurt?"

Gyrmallion jerked his head toward the other room. Catti-Brie knelt in the entryway, channeling healing energy into the last of the Altmer warriors. He'd been nearly disemboweled, and his breathing was labored. "Kaelen. If it hadn't hit him, I wouldn't have even known it was there; but he was...in its way." He stared at Drizzt. "What did it mean, 'malice'?"

"I don't know what it is." Drizzt looked around. "Where's Ravenlight? But it means the wounds...trying to heal them will hurt more than the wound itself did. It happened when Alduin bit me. Ravenlight tried to heal me; I could feel my body being mended, but the healing hurt so badly I was on the verge of dying of shock."

Nevano ducked out to go find her.

The Companions were easiest to find, milling about and gathering up the bodies of the vampires, those that weren't so old they immediately crumbled to ash. But thankfully, Ravenlight was among them, gathering up vampire ash and dust, and helping pick through the remains for anything potentially helpful.

Nevano ran over. "Need you. Hurry. Something about malice and the healing hurting worse than the injury? It got one of the non-Thalmor. Hurry!"

Her eyes widened. "_Malice?!_ Oh-gods. Cover your ears!" She turned toward the south and Shouted.

"_ODAHVIING!_"

Nevano barely got his hands over his ears, still staggering a bit. Somehow, vampire screeching hurt less.

Ravenlight was already running. "Get Elealda to stabilize the other Altmer and fast! Him and Zak-we've got to get them to Paarthurnax, he's the only one who can put them into a deep enough sleep to keep the malice from undoing everything we try!"

Nevano tripped and stumbled as he tried to obey, his ears ringing painfully.

Ravenlight banged into the house, panting. "_Uhiel_, tent and blankets, get them gathered up, and hurry. Catti-Brie! Bandages, stitches-don't use magic on it, it'll make things worse. Can you help me get him outside? We have to take them both to the Throat of the World; to Paarthurnax. I called Odahviing, he'll take us."

Nevano managed to find his feet after a few moments and ran to where Drelasa and Elealda were fortunately still using powder to get the bleeding under control. "Don't use magic!" He slid next to them, panting. "Was another demon. Said something about malice and magic will only hurt worse. Ravenlight is taking them to someone who can help."

Elealda blinked at him. "Malice? Magic just making things worse? And how is she planning to take anyone-"

The last question was answered as Odahviing landed with a crash not five feet away from them, and the Altmer jerked back with a scream.

"Him." Nevano said simply.

A moment later, the front door opened, and Ravenlight, Drizzt, and Gyrmallion came out, Gyrmallion carrying the other Altmer. "Drelasa, you'll need to come with us, it just missed tearing him open entirely. Catti-Brie started sealing the wounds, but she didn't know about the Malice-he's unconscious from the shock. Elealda, there are a lot of minor injuries from the vampires that could use a surgeon."

"I got plenty of powder to stop bleeding." Drelasa nodded and gently tugged Zak's hand. "Let's go, dear. Get you fixed up. Damn demons..."

He staggered up, his face gray. Ravenlight went to his other side quickly. "That's my fault, I'm so sorry. Odahviing, lower your head a little more, they'll have trouble getting up otherwise. We're going to the Throat of the World: we've got to get to Paarthurnax."

She helped Zak mount, then took the bundle from Drizzt. "Take Kaelen. I'll handle these." Gyrmallion started to object, but she shook her head. "You need to be stitched up, too. Your wounds aren't mortal, but they're still bad."

"The demon snuck up on us. You didn't know. But we'll save them." Drelasa held Zak securely, careful to not aggravate his injury. "I believe these two will be stubborn enough to fight back. Odahviing, tilt to the side a bit, darling. Won't be pulling on you so much. There. Better."

Once all his passengers were mounted and secure, Odahviing launched off, wheeled, and flew south: toward the immense spike of mountain jutting toward the sky, visible even from the marshes.

* * *

Nevano watched them go with a sigh. "Now to get the headless demon out of Ravenlight's-" Veleth dropped the corpse next to him. "-house. Right. Next chore?"

"Probably to round up the wounded." Gyrmallion sighed, rubbing at his face, and looking at the blood on his hands with mild surprise. "The Companions might have injured of their own."

"Disgusting claws." Veleth grumbled. "I'll get the head and set the whole thing on fire away from the house. Get a strong cure disease, non-Thalmor. No need for these demons to start taking a page from Dagoth Ur's book. No one has cure blight potions anymore."

He nodded, stumbling a little. "I'll go...look for one." He started to head for the house.

Nevano took him by the arm. "Whoa there. Before you pass out. Sit right here. You'll start the line. Twins! Get a fire going here!"

Gyrmallion tried to wave him off. "I'm fine. The others-" Then he screamed as Elealda grabbed his bad shoulder.

"I thought so. He's been leaving a blood trail everywhere he was walking. Help me get his armor off, his shoulder's the worst."

"Never thought I'd find myself stripping a Thalmor that's not a Thalmor but this certainly has been a trip no one has been able to guess. Hold _still!_ Vaermina's rotted tits, you squirm worse than Veleth's baby." Nevano pulled armor off, though not harshly.

The revealed shoulder was a mess. It wasn't a simple claw mark: at least two of the claws had pierced his flesh and been driven through while he was ramming it into the wall, and the revealed punctures were ugly, bloody, and deep. Pulling off the jerkin was the hardest part: the leather had sunk into and adhered to the wounds in a few places, and while he bit back screams, he couldn't stop a few anguished noises as they tugged it free.

"_N'chow_." Nevano winced. "I wouldn't use this scar to impress women."

Gyrmallion gritted his teeth as Elealda prodded the wound. "I can't tell if it's clean," she fretted. "One of you, bring me...something strong. Wine, or brandy, or-even mead, that's typically strong enough. I've got to wash these thoroughly, there's no telling _what_ was on those claws."

"Hope for the best, expect the worst." Nevano stood. "Hang on."

He dashed inside while the twins got a fire burning, fortunately not lighting either of themselves on fire. Nevano came back with his extremely beaten up and many patched bag. "I brought this because I don't know why. You won't need much to clear it out. In fact, I suggest cutting this." He held out an ancient looking bottle, sealed not with wax but another substance that had hardened like rock.

Elealda took it, pulling out a small glass belt knife, and somehow cutting through the substance. She twisted it open and gasped, quickly pulling her head back. "Mother _Mara_, that's strong. It'll do the trick, all right."

"Give me something to bite on before you pour that stuff on me." Gyrmallion's golden skin was starting to turn closer to the color of fine wood ash. "Please."

Nevano offered him his boot knife. "Ancient Dagoth Brandy. Can't remember where I found that but it's probably a few thousand years old."

Gyrmallion accepted the sheathed knife and bit down on it, leaning back under Elealda's hands. She was sparing with it, pouring only perhaps a spoonful's worth onto the wounds; but his back arched like a bow, his teeth clenched hard enough to leave dents in the sheath, and a muffled cry still made it out of his mouth. His hands dug into the wood beneath him, his nails leaving marks behind.

"Considering how this is the only alcohol that makes even me wince?" Nevano nodded. "Don't worry about that sheath. I can get a new one."

She flushed out the wounds a second time, this time with clean water, before pulling out the needle and starting to sew them shut. Gyrmallion relaxed slightly, removing the knife and looking ruefully at the marks. He smiled a little at Nevano. "If there was any malice in _my_ wounds, I think that took care of _it_, too. Ah." He flinched a little as she tugged the thread through.

"Nasty demon met House of Demon!" Nevano offered the bottle. "You won't notice her after a small shot of this."

He hesitated, then laughed. "If it knocks me out, she'll thank you."

"After a sip of this you might be screaming that I poisoned you..." Nevano said a bit ruefully, looking the bottle over. "It _is_ a bit potent. Oh, there's a date. I think. What is...ah, 592. Nerevar, don't give me a random number, I need an era too. ...Don't get _huffy_, it's not my fault you gave me a - _first era?_ Shite!"

"Well...aged, then." Gyrmallion looked at the bottle in his hand. "I'm...hard to poison by now, though..." He glanced at Elealda.

She shrugged. "It's alcohol, not jarrin root or something similar. It doesn't exactly go bad...though I'm astounded there was still anything _in_ that bottle, if it's that old. If you just take a little, it shouldn't do more than make you silly, and probably will dull the pain."

"House Dagoth wasn't full of twisted insanity back at that age, but they _were_ powerful and rather talented. More than a little magic in there." Nevano motioned at it. "And they loved their brandy. I've drank it before so don't worry about it hurting you. About the only thing that I can count on to get drunk off of anymore."

Gyrmallion took a swig and gasped. "Talos' _axe!_" He coughed, hard. "If we could get that to him, we wouldn't have to worry about Bal for a week and a _half_."

A grin slowly stretched across Nevano's face. "And this will be a day to remember: I got a Thalmor not-Thalmor to swear by Talos." His grin turned into a smirk. "We really need to come up with a new name for you. Something that will get others to see you _aren't_ Thalmor."

Gyrmallion eyed him, then blinked. "That stuff...I'm starting to see double already. But while I'm still thinking straight, I'm just going to say I think I'd rather ask Ravenlight for ideas."

"What? You don't trust a Dunmer to come up with a good name?" Nevano gave a look of feigned shock. "I'm astonished. Insulted and astonished. I even had a good one picked out!"

"No, I somehow don't trust _you_ to come up with a good one." His voice was already slurring. "I listen. Drelasa calls you trouble." He caught himself. "Gods, that stuff is strong...I don't think I'll be able to walk once she's finished with me.

"_Alitam surpal_ had such a good ring to it." The mischievous gleam in his eyes said Drelasa had been highly correct. "Yeah it...might do that."

"Go find the other wounded and bring them here," Elealda said in a tone of fond exasperation. "And then ask that giant, Farkas, I think his name is, to get my cousin inside, because I believe his assessment is correct, and he's going to be counting pink mammoths in a few minutes."

"Pink mammoths singing tavern ballads. The dirty ones. He might sing along." Nevano laughed as he stood. "If I can tear Nevusa away from fussing over him...might ask Veleth."

Nevusa was indeed fussing over Farkas, who was enjoying every second of it. An ice spike flung by a vampire had cut one arm, before the vampire in question had been introduced to the sharp edge of Skyforge steel. The injury was bloody, but neither deep, nor severe. Nevusa still made a bit of a deal over it, sitting to bandage it while somehow sitting _on_ him. Nevano merely smirked, listening to her chatter away to him about how impressed she was at how far he sent that vampire flying while pointing the more seriously injured towards Elealda.

* * *

Serana found him quickly, her dress torn from her fight, but otherwise unharmed. "There you are. Is everything all right? I saw Odahviing land while I was helping get rid of the vampire bodies."

"Another demon slipped in. Nasty one. Got Zak and he never noticed. Got one of the non-Thalmor but Gyrmallion...impressively pinned the thing down himself." Nevano admitted. "Stupid demon started going on about malice and then Ravenlight took the injured and Drelasa and whisked them off on dragonback."

"_Malice_?!" Serana's eyes widened. "Oh-oh, that's not good. I wasn't with them during that fight with Alduin, but I certainly heard about it afterward. It was...it was really bad." She paused. "She's taking them to Paarthurnax, then? Good. He knows how to...counter it, I guess, even if that's just putting them in a healing sleep deep enough not to feel pain."

"Yeah that's what I pieced together from all the frantic explanations." Nevano twisted his jaw a bit.

"Are you all right?" She looked him over. "I think-well, if she took them to Paarthurnax, I _know_ it was bad. And I can...smell the blood. Some on you, more elsewhere. There's a lot of it, and not just from vampires."

"I'm okay. Few minor bites and scratches. Are you okay though? That was...what you did was...that was _amazing_." Nevano said.

"I..." She looked away shyly. "I don't have much danger of...losing control, now. But I can still tap into some of the darker powers of a Daughter of Coldharbor. He did...bite me once or twice, before I tore him apart, but it's not exactly as if I can contract anything." She looked back at him. "I meant what I said, though. I'd had so few, for so long...that now that I _have_ friends, family, and...and people to love...I'll do anything to protect them, and stand against anything that tries to hurt them."

Nevano reached up and gently brushed dirt off a cut on her cheek with his thumb. "You were amazing. You didn't look out of control for an instant to me. You just looked like a goddess kicking his ass."

She smiled, the fangs in evidence earlier completely gone, and reached out to mirror his motion, cupping his jaw. Nevano's heart rate sped up to the point he knew she could hear it. Seeing how _powerful_ she had been in the face of an incredibly dangerous enemy and now with her eyes turned warm...it made the blood rush faster in his veins. She was beauty, she was grace, she was deadly...and so much more. She was fire that stuck to him like pitch and for her he'd happily burn. She drew closer to him, her lips parted slightly...and he leaned forward, answering, more than happy to. His lips were just brushing hers...

"Excuse me! I still need someone to get Gyrmallion inside, please!"

Nevano growled. "Did I say I was starting to like them? Because I lied. I take back everything good thing I said about them."

"There might be other times," Serana said, though he could tell she was also more than a little disappointed. "Let's go see what she needs help with." She brushed his face again and walked over to Elealda. Unable to fully squash down the frustration that was boiling in his belly, Nevano followed, though making a point to grab Veleth instead of Farkas. They could deal with pointy armor and possible possession instead.

* * *

The surgeon looked up. "I'm sorry to interrupt the kiss, but this...needs taking care of."

Gyrmallion had...melted across the bench. There was no other way to put it. He was sprawled out in a completely boneless heap, staring into the distance and humming tunelessly.

Veleth raised an eyebrow.

"Dagoth brandy." Nevano said, a bit peevishly.

Veleth's eyes went wide. "Why do you even...never mind. I don't want to know why you have that caustic stuff." Veleth got Gymallion over his shoulders and headed inside.

"He was all right until about three minutes ago," Elealda said. "Humming nonsense and ignoring everything I did. Then he just...went down."

"It does that." Nevano scowled. "He'll be fine. Doesn't take much to get drunk off that, especially for one who doesn't drink all that often. Makes you stupid for a while. No one has died from drinking it. It knocks you out before you can even think of getting poisoned by it."

"That's good." She didn't seem overly bothered. "Gyrmallion really _is_ hard to poison, though. Survived a few too many 'accidents' I believe were attempts to remove him without being obvious about it. He somehow developed a tolerance, if not an immunity, to most poisons." She turned to the next person waiting for her: a Companion with a series of claw marks on her face and arm. "I really wouldn't have interrupted you, only I couldn't move him by myself, unless I dumped him on his head."

"Because I'm the only one who can talk to the big idiots around here." Nevano muttered darkly as he walked away. "_Ohuhmhar ouaj hul scutif ghar ohuhm serpul._"

"You were the only one free," Serana said, drawing a little closer to him and twining her fingers through his. "But...in that regard..." She leaned in toward him. "They're _all_ going to be busy for a while. Shall we find someplace...a little more private...and finish that kiss?"

The change in Nevano was immediate and impressive. He perked right up and gave her hand a squeeze. "Absolutely!"


	24. A Dovah's Healing

**A _Dovah's_ Healing**

The air grew colder and thinner as Odahviing flew toward the Throat of the World. Drelasa shivered, wishing she'd thought to bring a cloak; Ravenlight and Drizzt seemed not to notice. They reached the mountaintop, circled once, then landed, kicking up clouds of snow. Ravenlight sprang down. "Paarthurnax! We need your help, quickly!"

Drelasa watched, her eyes wide and the cold forgotten, as an enormous and obviously very ancient dragon seemed to materialize from the very stone of the mountain itself. "By the gods..." she whispered.

"What is it, _Dovahkiin?_" He gazed down at her kindly.

Ravenlight smiled up at the one dragon she truly considered a friend. "Two friends of mine were attacked by a demon, with malice on its claws. One is an...unexpected ally; the other is my _zeymah_ Drizzt's _bormah_." She stepped forward. "The wounds are severe. We need your help to heal them."

"So Molag Bal reveals his hand." He turned and looked as Drizzt dismounted Odahviing, Kaelan's unconscious body in his arms, and Zak was helped down by Drelasa. "_Geh._ I will aid them. Have them lie down; I will let them sleep, without pain."

Drelasa held Zak close as she helped him to Paarthurnax, partially to keep him steady, partially because it was bloody cold and partially to keep herself steady as they got closer. He didn't seem to notice any of it.

Ravenlight unrolled the bundle she'd brought: blankets, furs, and a tent. She spread the blankets and furs over the snow, beckoning them closer. "Lay him down," she instructed. "He's going to send them to sleep. Drizzt, once you've set him down, help me get the tent up over by the dragon wall, it'll block the wind, and we'll be able to move them in there without any of us being in danger of freezing." She looked over at Drelasa, then picked up a white wolf fur and draped it over her shoulders. "I'm so sorry, I should have remembered to tell you to bring a cloak."

Drelasa settled Zak down before gratefully accepting the fur, giving Ravenlight a small smile. "We were understandably in a bit of a rush."

Drizzt placed Kaelen beside him, glancing worriedly at Zak before picking up the tent and moving over to the half-ruined wall to start setting it up. Fortunately, it was not too far away.

Paarthurnax loomed over the two injured warriors, before arching his neck and shouting. "_LAAG PRAAL VAHRAAN!_" The mist that gushed from his mouth at the words had an almost comforting green hue. It surrounded them, and they both went limp, breathing easily. Drelasa could feel the power in the shout reverberate in her chest. It was by far some of the most powerful magic she had ever felt.

Ravenlight smiled in relief. "Thank you, Paarthurnax. Thank you so much." She stood by him for a moment, her hand on his muzzle; then she went over to the sleeping warriors. "All right, Drelasa. They're in a healing sleep; we can tend their wounds safely now. Once Drizzt has the tent set up, we'll all move into there."

Drelasa nodded, words failing her momentarily after that.

They had to struggle to turn Zak onto his stomach so they could reach his back; but they made it, and without making Drizzt leave off setting up the tent. Then Ravenlight knelt between them, holding one hand over each as she reached for her magicka. "Drelasa, the Altmer; his wound is worse than Zak's. Could you take a look at it?"

"Absolutely." Drelasa shifted over, putting one hand on the Altmer's forehead as she pulled away the blanket covering the wound.

Catti-Brie's magic had done some good, despite how painful it had been for the unfortunate Altmer: while it still ran the width of his torso, it no longer gushed blood, and had started to seal from the bottom, so there was no longer only a thin membrane holding his gut in place. Still, it was deep and ugly, and oozing a little.

Drelasa placed her hand just over the wound and focused her magic into it, imagining the skin and muscle beneath knitting itself together. Veins reconnected, allowing blood to flow normally and swiftly. She moved her hand slowly up, being very careful not to overdo it. Too much, even to a body asleep, could shock it. He had already lost too much blood and suffered too much shock. Her hand slid from his forehead to his neck, feeling for the beat of his heart in the big vein. It was weak and fast, like a scared rabbit. She eased back in her healing, giving him another layer of protection over his guts. He needed to rest a bit before she sealed the rest of him up.

Ravenlight channeled her magic into the wound on Zaknafein's back. She paused every now and then to allow her magicka to replenish. It was a bad wound, deep and painful, and as she let her power tell her where the damage was that needed to be repaired, she shivered as she realized that the demon's claw had touched bone in more than one spot.

A few moments later, Drizzt came over to them. "I've got the tent up," he said. "Let's get them out of this cold."

Drelasa opened her eyes. "Yes. This one needs the rest badly."

Drizzt hesitated, glancing over at Zak, then nodded. "He was probably in the worst shape. I'll move him in, then come back and help you with Zak."

"Careful, darling." She said gently. "I couldn't heal him all the way just yet. Was a bit too much to go further."

He nodded again, carefully lifting Kaelen up in the blanket beneath him, and carrying him into the tent.

Ravenlight glanced at Drelasa with a wry little grin. "Let's see how far we can drag Zak before Drizzt gets back over here. Might go easier with two of us."

Drelasa put a finger to her lips and her other hand glowed briefly. "There. Won't last long but I think he's light enough now we only need these few moments to get him over there."

"Helpful." Ravenlight took hold of one side of the large fur he was lying on. "All right. Let's get him inside."

Drelasa picked up the other side and lifted him up. Wasn't a strong feather spell but it certainly helped, especially in the very thin air where just walking around could start to feel labored, never mind carrying another. She helped Ravenlight settle Zak in the tent, out of the wind, just as the spell ended.

The tent, while not huge, was fairly spacious, with enough room for five people inside, and it was made of thick leather, which kept cold out and heat in. As the two women got the injured settled, Drizzt went back outside to retrieve the rest of the furs and blankets, shaking what snow had gathered off of them. Just before he came back in, there was a soft conversation outside, though the wind made it hard to hear words: but they could hear his voice, and Paarthurnax's deeper rumble. He ducked back in again; a moment later, there was a _thwump_ outside the tent, and the sound of the wind diminished a little.

Drelasa frowned a little, not sure she wanted to know exactly what that was.

"Paarthurnax," Ravenlight said, taking the furs Drizzt held out to her and covering the two warriors. "We can't have a fire up here: the air's too thin, and there's no fuel. So he's lying down beside the tent, curling around it a little. He knows that we can't take the cold; but he can ignore it. So he's helping us as much as he can."

Drelasa nodded, again momentarily robbed of speech.

Ravenlight checked on Zak, then Kaelen. "They're probably as healed as we can get them tonight; for now, the best thing for them will just be sleep." She sighed. "And we're going to need it, too. Ah. Adrenaline's wearing off." She blinked and shook her head. "I don't think anyone's in a position to be fussy about where we end up lying down; but Zak and the Altmer need to be kept warm."

Drelasa smiled, knowing what that meant. "Take Zak. He'll be more comfortable with you. I'll take our new friend."

Ravenlight passed over two large furs. "Snow saber. Neither of you are used to the cold; you'll need all the insulation you can get."

"Thank you, darling." She gratefully accepted them. "No one ever accused a Dunmer of looking good in the snow. Especially when I complain of Blacklight being too cold in winter."

"Mm...you're going to want to cover up then." Ravenlight sank down. "It's about as cold as you can get up here, without ending up in Atmora. Took me a long time to get used to it." She yawned. "But it's kind of worth it to come up and talk to Paarthurnax, so I try to make the trip every month or two."

"I'm sure after I get some rest, the feeling of that much immense power won't be so intimidating." Drelasa said, getting the furs around Kaelen. "Or it will be but I'll be able to sort through it better."

"Hopefully, in the morning, you'll be able to talk with him a little bit." Ravenlight glanced up at Drizzt and scooted over a little, allowing him the spot next to his father. "He's still intimidating, but not...in a bad way. And it sounds like he may have some advice on the situation; said something about Molag Bal showing his hand. I'll be glad to ask him about it, I know that." She unfolded a large fur as well, flipping it out and pulling it over her. "Agh. I'll have to continue in the morning. I'm about to pass out again." She stretched out and closed her eyes, going limp almost instantly.

Drelasa got Kaelen settled next to her before pulling her own fur over her. It wasn't as warm as if they had a fire going but it certainly kept the chill away. She put her fingers against Kaelen's neck, feeling his heartbeat. It was still a little fast-understandable, in the thin air-but growing stronger every minute.

She smiled as she slid down, reassured. It would take a few more healing sessions, but he would be okay. Tough little fetcher, surviving torture, vampires and now a demon attack. She'd have to make him a luck charm before they headed to High Rock because he was using up his luck at a rapid rate.

Or, she could ask the Card'vel when they all met up. She grinned into her furs with that thought. Uliamu would happily adorn everyone with bones, which she would no doubt be collecting along the way. Drelasa strongly suspected a whole deer skeleton would be employed somehow.


	25. Morning After

**Morning After**

Gyrmallion came to himself with what felt like unbearable slowness. It was not exactly a pleasant awakening. For starters, his mouth felt and tasted as though there'd been a mouse sleeping in it for most of the night, and he wasn't sure which hurt worse: his shoulder or his head. The events of the night before, at least, were all clear...up until about five minutes after he'd taken a swig from that bottle Nevano had offered. Six-thousand-year-old Dagoth brandy. He wasn't sure it had been worth it.

Someone had thoughtfully left a cup of water close at hand. The good hand too. Just as well, for silence reigned in the house. He pushed himself up without aggravating his shoulder or his head and picked it up. There was a time he would have sniffed such a cup suspiciously; but there hadn't been any poisoning attempts made on him for nearly a year...and besides which, he was no longer with the Thalmor. It _did_ occur to him, slightly too late, that there might have been something not poison in the water, which could have had equally unpleasant effects...but he didn't taste anything strange. It was just...clean, cold water, and he was most grateful for it.

Sunlight streamed in through the window. It was going to be a very pretty day despite last night's bloody battle. Wait...sunlight? It finally registered he wasn't in his cellar quarters but in the room the Dunmer had been sharing, though currently none of the dark elves were there. Apparently whoever had moved him hadn't been keen on carrying him down the trapdoor.

He finished the water and rose gingerly, noting, gratefully, that he was, at least, still wearing pants. It seemed a little odd that he was alone, though he might have just slept hard enough not to notice if anyone else got up around him.

As he went into the rest of the house, it became obvious he was probably one of the few that had actually gotten a bed. Many had fallen asleep where they had dropped. Elealda was sound asleep in a chair by the fire. He went back for a pillow and shifted her slightly, propping her head so that she was at least lying on something soft. He knew from long experience that if he tried to actually move her somewhere softer, she would wake up cranky, but at least this way she might not be so stiff.

Outside there was some movement but not much. Most movement came in the form of someone rolling over to get away from the rock digging into their hip.

"So, the first one up is the one who was insisting there were striped horses in the room." An accented voice came from the side. "Fortunately you aren't the kind who likes to fight when drunk. I'd have tossed you in the bay." Veleth eyed him. "Though you seem over it. That stuff lingers."

"I'm not sure I would have been up to fighting even if I _did_ get cranky when drunk," Gyrmallion answered. "Not on that stuff."

"I've dealt with enough drunks that nothing surprises me about it anymore." Veleth said honestly. "Though, next time, unless they are actually pulling your guts out, I wouldn't drink that stuff. I'd use it to strip enchantments off weapons instead."

"I'll take that advice." He grimaced. "Is there possibly anything to eat? I could eat a boar raw."

Veleth nodded over to where the twins had gotten another deer over the fire. "Dumb thing nearly landed on them around dawn. So now he's breakfast. Unless you've gotten spoiled by my mother and Ravenlight. In which case there's possibly something left over inside."

"I'm used to camp rations; that'll be fine." He made his way over to it, removing a chunk of venison with his own knife, then sitting down near Veleth. "Did anything else happen after I passed out?"

"Other than the amusing part where Boethiah claimed that demon it's been very quiet." Veleth said. "Typical after battle, everyone dropping one by one where their feet decide to stop moving."

He nodded. "The children-are they all right? I know we stopped that thing before it could reach the cellar where they were hiding, but..." His eyes clouded, and he gazed into the distance.

"They're okay." Veleth finally smiled. "The little one is mostly upset Drizzt isn't here but they are a tough little lot. In fact..." He pointed to where a tired looking Nevusa was showing the kids how Ashlanders made paint using campfire ash.

Gyrmallion relaxed. "Good. I..." He shook his head. "I didn't even know that thing had come in before Kaelen suddenly screamed and went down. Pure luck that enough of his blood spattered it that I could see it. And then it just...nothing I did was stopping it. Pinning it to the wall was a last-ditch effort, and even then I didn't know if it would hold. And I knew it was after the children; Kaelen was standing over the trapdoor."

"They are the children of Molag Bal and Vivec." Veleth said with an enormous amount of distaste. "Supposed to all be dead but that was just one more lie, I suppose. Far more powerful than they should be. They're only going to be stronger." He frowned. "Eighty eight...and that was the third one we killed. I think...I think I need to look into this. Something has to be out there these things fall easily to."

"Well. _That's_ a...sordid little bit of history I think I'd be happier not knowing about." Gyrmallion grimaced in revulsion. Then he frowned. "There's something I don't understand, though. I know why it attacked Kaelen, he was in its way. Ripping him open was just...malice. But why Zak? It didn't attack anyone else. Why did it go out of its way to attack Zak?"

"They seem to be trying to hit right where it hurts the worst." Veleth said. "First one attacked at my father's shrine. Now this one the kids and Drizzt's father. Smart moves, strategy wise. Hit us where it hurts the worst."

"Maybe." He looked to the south, where the spire of the Throat of the World could just be seen above the mountains hedging Morthal. "I hope they're all right."

"They will be." Veleth said confidently. "Your mer won't be allowed to slip off. It'll make my mother mad. His soul will dive right back in."

Gyrmallion laughed for the first time that morning and leaned back. His headache was finally starting to fade, though his shoulder was probably going to give him problems for a while; and he might as well enjoy the morning peace while it lasted.

* * *

Dawn arrived earlier at the Throat of the World than it did anywhere else in Skyrim. Ravenlight managed to be awake before anyone else, and while they were all still asleep, she slipped out of the tent and sat down by Paarthurnax, watching the sunrise, and talking with the old dragon. It wasn't about anything serious; not yet. Just the general goings-on of her household and the country, the sort of thing an isolated old creature would enjoy hearing.

The gentle hum of their voices reached Drelasa but didn't quite pierce through the haze between sleep and awake. She merely held the warm body next to her closer.

"The _mal gein_, then. It is not usual for one so young to display such aptitude for _lah_, is it?"

"Not really. It's got me wondering, who he really is, and what kind of world he came from." There was a sigh. "Not that it matters. He's my son; I'm not giving him up to anyone just because of that."

Drelasa was pulled into wakefulness a bit more. She stretched her back a bit, hearing more than a few pops.

There was a seismic rumble of laughter. "I should like to see anyone try to take your _kiir_ from you. There would not be much left after they tasted your _Thu'um_."

"No." Her voice sounded almost...smug. There was a moment of silence. "Recently, when we went to the Card'vel of the Ashlands, one of them called me something...fitting, but a little strange. Dragon Mother."

"Hmm. Interesting." Something massive shifted outside, scales scraping against each other. "_Dov_ do not know what it is to be a _monah_; we have no _kiir_, we do not bear young. But you...they are not of your _slen_, but they are yours. I deem this...Card'vel named you well."

Inside the tent, the warm form Drelasa was hugging shifted a little. There was a little, confused noise, another shift, then a sudden gasp of pain. Drelasa, in automatic mother mode, shushed him. A little further away, someone else stirred. There was a muffled grunt, the furs shifted, then a half-strangled yell. The tent flap instantly opened, allowing sunlight to pour in.

"Hey. You all right?"

Drelasa sat up, making sure to keep the furs close around Kaelan. "Seems our patients are waking up. Easy, darling. Don't fuss."

He nodded a little, face taut. Zak was growling, flattened out again. Ravenlight came in, picking her way over to him. "Easy," she said. "Here. Let me see that wound. It was looking a lot better when we got you in here, but it could probably use another round or two of healing."

He glanced over his shoulder at her and blinked, apparently confused. "Where am I?"

Drizzt pushed himself up. "We're on the Throat of the World, a mountaintop. In Skyrim. Do you remember last night?"

Drelasa put her hand on Kaelen's forehead. "Hear that? Don't think an Altmer has ever been this high up before. You are a first. Lie still so you can get up sooner to see the view."

Chiming gold streamed over the injury in the older Drow's back. This time, though, instead of hissing or gritting his teeth from pain, he relaxed. "That...feels better."

"The malice is gone, that means." Ravenlight continued stroking her hands across the slowly-healing injury. "I don't know if that Shout destroys it, or if it just doesn't last; but either way, it's a good thing."

Drelasa peeled back the furs and placed her hand over the Altmer's belly, slowly letting her magic flow through. He relaxed as well, letting out a long sigh. Then he blinked and looked around, puzzled. "I heard...the Throat of the World...but how did we get here?"

"Dragonback, darling." Drelasa said, letting more magic flow when he didn't fall immediately into distress. "You were on top of Odahviing this time. You did well stopping that demon. Gave them time to protect the children."

He smiled a little. "Stopping...well, I was good for something then. Didn't even _see_ the damn thing, and it was right in front of me. None of us had any idea it was there until I went down." Kaelen paused. "Though...it defeated itself. I thought we were done; was right on the verge of stepping away from the trapdoor when I suddenly felt a line of fire run across my belly, screamed and fell. If it hadn't attacked me..." He shivered. "Odd thing to say, but...I'm glad it did."

"I've heard a saying," Ravenlight commented, "_Oft evil will, will evil mar._ Means that something done out of sheer nastiness or spite might end up coming back hard on the one who did it. Alduin did that to me: when he attacked Helgen, my head was on the block waiting for the axe. The timing of his attack saved me from execution."

"No patience. If they had patience, things would be very different. They get bloated on confidence." Drelasa frowned. "For it to go there...to only attack Zak outside...do you think it was targeting the children? So far you have defeated a few of these hybrid demons _and_ a titan, not to mention rallied forces and stopped a few waves of attacks. Are they going after the flanks? Attacking family?"

"The fact that it attacked _me_..." Zak pushed himself up. "I've been wondering. Would it have anything to do with...with Ebornarm? The children..." He grimaced. "I've seen folk...lose the will to fight after losing a child. It makes...a cruel sense for it to have been specifically going after them. But I'm...do you think it was trying to cut off what influence Ebonarm might...exert before it can even truly begin?"

"It very well could." Drelasa said. "That was what the Mutes did...do. They attack vulnerable places, cut the strong off from their source of strength and leave them to rot. You are new to your influence. You might be a bit of a beacon yourself until you settle with it. As for the children...They are safe for now surrounded by us. But...oh gods." She sat up straight suddenly, her magic dying on her fingertips. "I didn't...Ravenlight, I need to get to Blacklight!"

Ravenlight sat up. "What's wrong?"

"Dusty..." She whispered. "We thought...in the middle of the city but...no guard there, no matter how loyal, can stop one of those demons!"

They all sprang up. "You're right," Ravenlight said, face growing white. "And-yes, Boethiah's champion-they'd _definitely_ go after him. I don't know if Odahviing-"

The tent trembled with a motion outside. "Come, _Dovahkiin,_" Paarthurnax rumbled, "I am not so old I cannot leave my _strunmah._ I can bear you there as swiftly as Odahviing, and you will not need to wait for him to return."

Drelasa scrambled outside, frantically pulling her boots on as she went. "I'm a fool. I should have realized that instant you told me what was going on!"

"We didn't know what was going on until we were already in Skyrim." Ravenlight snatched up a couple of furs and brought them out, looking over at Kaelen. "Do you know any bound weapon spells?"

He nodded, face grim. "We all had to learn them. Never knew when we might be disarmed."

"Good." Ravenlight took a quick look around. She, Drizzt and Zak still had their weapons; Kaelen and Drelasa were unarmed and unarmored-though, as she'd often learned, with magicka, no one was really unarmed. "We don't have time to wait. Come on; Paarthurnax is waiting. We've got to go!"

"Dreyla knows little to protect herself. Her father sheltered her and now it's difficult to learn." Drelasa's hands stumbled as she helped get them ready to go. "The guards are strong but if these things are escaping our warriors' notice then the city walls are useless."

"The first one didn't bother with stealth," Drizzt said, remembering. "The second one was hiding, but not...impossible to find. The third...I'm hoping the rest of them don't have that trick." He helped Drelasa up onto the dragon's neck.

"Or malice in their claws," Ravenlight said grimly. "Because _that..._ I may need you to teach me the Shout for a healing sleep, if that's the case." She scrambled up in front; Zak and Kaelen followed, Kaelen waiting just long enough to wrap a fur around his bare torso. The second they were all seated, Paarthurnax launched into the air, his tattered wings somehow catching the wind and keeping it, as he wheeled in the direction Ravenlight pointed out to him.

As they hurtled toward the borders of Skyrim, two other dragons noticed, and followed behind him.

Drelasa held tight to the ancient thing under her, praying to any higher being listening that she was wrong.

* * *

Urgency drove Paarthurnax to a much faster pace than Odahviing had taken. In less than two hours, the city of Blacklight rose before them. And it was instantly clear that they were just in time: even from a distance, the city looked like a kicked anthill. Ravenlight focused, peering down-then pointed. "There! Down there!"

Smoke rose from the section of the city where the Veleth's resided. Drelasa gasped in terror. "No.." She whispered. "No, no-please no."

Paarthurnax swooped low. In the streets, a group of guardsmen armed with spears and pikes struggled to hold off an unpleasantly familiar figure. Behind them, two others were helping a young woman clutching a small form to run down the street. Blood dripped off of her-but the baby's terrified screams were audible even from a distance.

"Paarthurnax!" Ravenlight shouted. "Drop lower. Get that thing into the clear!"

"_Geh!_"

It was doubtful the guards thought the sudden appearance of a dragon hovering right overhead meant anything good-until Paarthurnax Shouted. "_FUS RO DAH!_"

Coming from Ravenlight, it was capable of bowling over half a legion like ninepins. Coming from Paarthurnax...it not only blew the demon halfway down the street and into a wall so hard it left a dent: it sent any loose cobbles on the street flying after it.

"The cursed son of a rotting _whore_!" Drelasa's fear had been replaced with rage. Lightning danced at her fingertips as clouds began to gather. "Get me down there. Its suffering will be something the demons talk about for centuries!"

Paarthurnax needed no second urging. The guards had already scattered: understandable, when suddenly faced with what might have been an ally-or a new threat that none of them had ever thought they'd have to deal with. Which meant the street was clear when he landed heavily.

Drelasa jumped down as the clouds turned black. "First you attack my husband's shrine. That is a death sentence enough among my kind. But my children's' children?" Her voice seemed to magnify the closer she got. There was little doubt half the city heard her. "You will beg for the Webspinner to take you by the time I am finished!"

Ice froze the demon's limbs in place as she came closer. Nevano had pointed out that Veleth's temper had an origin. There was very little doubt of that now.

Ravenlight watched closely, remaining on Paarthurnax's neck: if necessary, he could lift her up for a clear shot. Behind her, she heard Zak, Drizzt, and Kaelen leap down.

She hoped Drelasa's spells would do the trick, but she remembered that Veleth had to finish the demon at her house, and was silently afraid that this one, too, would need something closer to either Aedra or Daedra to finish.

When Drelasa got close, it wasn't lightning at her fingers. Black energy raced along her arms as she grabbed the demon by the throat. "You will learn the price for touching a child!"

"Paarthurnax, lift me up," Ravenlight hissed, pulling an arrow. She wasn't going to keep Drelasa from her revenge, but if it looked for a _second_ like the demon was about to break free, she was putting an arrow through its eye before it could rip the Dunmer into shreds.

"Hold a moment." A hard woman with a massive claw mark on her face stopped her. Next to her, a very familiar enormous, wrinkly dog. "Drelasa has this."

Though both Drelasa's hands were occupied, the black energy seemed to form a second pair of limbs, further holding the demon in place.

Drelasa suddenly plunged a hand deep into the demon's chest, black energy tinged with purple erupting from the wound. The demon shrieked.

"Who else are you bloody half-breeds targeting?!" Drelasa screamed in its face.

"Who else stands in our way?" it managed to gasp out. "Strike the weak-bleed the strong."

Drelasa twisted her hand, causing it to shriek. "You have learned _nothing_. Stupid, weak and pathetic!" She spat. "You bleed the strong until the strong have nothing left and you will face the bitterest of opponents. Where before there might have been mercy there is only rage. By trying to bleed us you have only made your loss so much _worse!_" She dug her nails in deep. "We will never stop. The _world_ will never stop. Pitiful fools already tried to bleed me and it only made me hate you n'wah more. I ask you one final time. _Who are you targeting next?_"

Its mouth moved, bloody foam flecking out. Panic suddenly flashed across its ugly face as it strained. Finally, it managed to gasp out two, strangled words. "The...heart!"

"_Which_ Heart you fetcher?" Drelasa growled. "Now!"

"Empire!" Suddenly, it slumped, dark blood erupting from its skin in a dozen places.

"Enjoy your eternity with Mephala." Drelasa yanked her hand out before motioning with a fist. Two black and purple portals opened next to the body and long black legs reached out. The demon's body was torn in half as it was dragged away. When the portals shut, only black blood remained. Drelasa turned back to them, casting a fire spell in her own hands to burn the filth from them. "Where are Dreyla and Dusty?" Her voice was hoarse.

Paarthurnax shifted slightly, allowing Drizzt to approach, escorting a young woman with a frightened, tear-stained face and her still-sobbing baby. She saw Drelasa and nearly burst into tears again, running toward her. Drelasa grabbed them into a hug. "It's gone. It's gone now." She murmured. "It won't see the mortal world again. I swear that."

"The heart...Empire," Ravenlight muttered. "Akatosh save us, that could be any of well over a _dozen_ things. The Emperor? The Temple? The Imperial City?"

The woman next to Ravenlight sighed in relief. "I know the note said watch out for trouble but this...if Lady hadn't alerted me they'd both be dead." She glanced at her. "Perhaps broader? Heart of Tamriel? Mundus?"

"Heart of the Empire..." Kaelen had come close enough to catch those words. "And they're going after children. _I_ know what that is. It's the Emperor's family. His daughter and grandchildren."

"That will take a bit." Drelasa said, staggering a bit as she let Dreyla go. "As I recall, the Emperor's family was _killed_, during the Great War. A truly cruel move to sap the strength out of him."

"They're not dead. Now, I don't know where they _are_...but Gyrmallion will." Kaelen smirked a little. "He's the one who hid them from the Thalmor during the Great War."

"Oh good. So you _aren't_ one of those scum, then." The scarred woman said.

That was when everyone started to realize attention was going to the Altmer and it was decidedly _not_ friendly, even with that declaration. Ravenlight slipped off Paarthurnax and moved up beside him. There was no menace in her movements...but there was decided purpose.

"All of you! _Stand down!_" Drelasa drew herself up again. "Do any of you think I would bring a howling Thalmor fanatic into this city? Ravenlight, darling, standing like a mother wolf over pups will not rebuild a relationship. This Altmer is part of a group that has broken away. Much like how the Chimer did! We have much to hate of the Thalmor, this is true, but we cannot deny those who are doing what we ourselves have done before! He is as different from the Thalmor as we are alike to each other. They deserve the chance to prove that and today he has. He came to save one of our children, not soak the streets with our blood. Now stand down!"

The guards, though still wary, accepted what Drelasa said readily enough. Other residents took a step back but a murmur went through the crowd. It was true, he _had_ come with this strange group to save a child. In their eyes...that was deserving of high praise, veneration even.

Drelasa looked at them. "It won't be easy or fast...but, things like this will go a long way in building a bond."

"And I might add," Ravenlight said mildly, "that he came without hesitation, despite having neither armor nor weapon...after the _last_ one of those, which attacked my home, came within a hair's-breadth of disemboweling him. Because he stood between it and _my_ children."

Drelasa smiled. Now she was getting it. Bring the children in. Now no one would dare harm him.

"I think," Ravenlight said, looking around, "we're going to need to return to Windstad and soon. Something tells me Gyrmallion's going to be the one with the whole story concerning the 'Heart of the Empire', the children will need to see that we're all right after we had to leave so abruptly last night..." She sighed. "And it _just_ occurred to me that the two people who could absolutely keep the peace among the motley crew currently gathered at my house are both here."

She looked around, quickly spotting the other two dragons perched on different buildings nearby, simply to watch the goings-on. "Ah, I thought we'd had an escort. Well, this means we'll have enough transport to take all of us _and_ Dreyla and Dusty back. I don't think they should be alone: there is _nothing_ to stop these monsters from trying again, and I strongly suspect they will."

"No. And I'm starting to think we need to bring your children with us as well, darling." Drelasa said. "We are being watched at all times now."

Ravenlight nodded, pursing her lips. "There _is_ a place..." Then she shook her head. "No, no, and _no_. Not with all of them here." Catching the confused looks, she sighed. "I'll clarify back at Windstad. We need to find a more open spot to let those two land so we're not all crowding onto Paarthurnax."

Drelasa nodded. "Dreyla, is there anything you can get?"

"No it...destroyed everything." Dreyla's voice shook.

"We will tell your father you are leaving. If he pitches a fit, tell him to look at the house." Drelasa said. "Cruivah..."

"I'll take care of this," the hard woman said.

"Good." Drelasa nodded. "Hopefully there's no demon in my house, because I have a few things to grab there and we will head off."

Ravenlight stepped forward and gently hugged Dreyla. "Whatever you lost, I will help you replace," she promised. "Anything and everything."

Dreyla was shaking but returned the hug, albeit a bit hesitantly.

"Veleth's at my home," Ravenlight said. "We'll fly you straight there." She glanced over her shoulder at Paarthurnax. "You won't mind going there before returning to the _Monahven_?"

"_Ni._" Paarthurnax shook his head-carefully, to keep from banging into anyone or anything. "It is good, once again, to see a little of the world before returning to my meditations." He raised his head and looked around. "Though I may well see more of it; sitting in quiet meditation is well and good when a threat of this degree is _not_ in the world."

Drelasa staggered a bit, only Paarthurnax's enormous shoulder keeping her upright. "Oh, that took more than I thought..."

Ravenlight stepped forward to steady her. "Magicka low? Ah, here." She dug in the pouch at her side. "After Labyrinthian...where is it...ah! I always carry a few restore-magicka potions with me." She pulled out a small, blue-glazed bottle. "Here. Not one of my strongest, but it'll give you a needed boost."

"Thank you, darling." She took it gratefully. "Daedra Lords require an enormous amount."

"I imagine. Probably as bad as getting hit with the Staff of Magnus was in that blasted ruin." She checked the pouch. "If you need another, I have a few more. And _dozens_ at home."

"They don't do half measures for sure." Drelasa threw it back quickly. "Whew. Actually...Dreyla, stay here. I'll deal with Fethis. I'd rather you and the baby stay where it's safest."

Ravenlight smiled as Dreyla cast a nervous look at Paarthurnax. "Don't worry. The time when he might have been a danger to a mother and child is _long_ past. And those two..." She turned and looked up at the two lesser dragons. "Will behave themselves if they know what's good for them."

Though still rather cranky from the days events and not at all happy about leaving the safety of his mother, Dusty looked up at Paarthurnax...and promptly blew raspberries at him. The massive dragon seemed to smile. Dreyla's eyes went wide and it looked for a moment as if she were going to pass out. Dusty, it seemed, took a bit more after his father in terms of fearlessness. A giant dragon was merely something to make noises at to get funny responses.

"Think you'll be okay with riding him with Drelasa?" Ravenlight asked, gently supporting her from behind.

"Yes..." She didn't sound fully sure. After all that had happened, no one could blame her.

Ravenlight squeezed her shoulders. "At the very least, you will be completely safe," she assured her. "I can promise: _nothing_, not even the unreconciled dragons, will attack Paarthurnax. 'Old' does not mean 'weak' among the _dov_."

"Oh good. Just...no more demons. I'll take dragons over demons..." she said.

"Yeah, considering what that other one did, I don't blame you." Ravenlight grimaced. "I can't promise no more attacks. But I _can_ promise that you will be surrounded by people who can do something about them. If I have to make an arsenal's worth of weapons and have every one of them consecrated to all nine Divines, I _will_."

The guards, having been told these were allies, had formed a loose ring around them, keeping people away and the street cleared. Paarthurnax looked around, then lifted his head and spoke in _Dovahzuul_ to the two dragons. Ravenlight could only get the gist of it; he'd told them to obey her and allow passengers to mount, and to wait to come down until after he'd taken off. Dusty looked way up at the other two and waved while blowing raspberries, complete with drool bubbles.

Drelasa returned not long after that, carrying two bags and looking almost as murderous as she had when she had stormed up to the demon. Behind her was a Dunmer man, carrying on in such a way it was difficult to tell what he really was going on about. Dreyla groaned in exasperation.

"And who is this?" Drizzt asked, glancing over at him.

"That...is my father." Dreyla's ears turned red as the nearby guards rolled their eyes. "He's a bit...well..."

"Over-protective, overbearing annoying little _S'WIT_!" Drelasa rounded on him. "YES! I heard you the first forty six times! I am not changing my mind, she is going, you will shut up and that is the end of it!"

Ravenlight got a sneaky grin on her face. "Paarthurnax, would you mind?" She leaned forward and whispered something beside the dragon's head. He instantly seemed to mirror her grin, and lowered his head almost to the ground. Ravenlight lightly climbed up his neck and offered her hand to the Dunmer woman. "Dreyla...let me give you a hand up here before he notices you."

Dreyla took it and crawled up. Dusty squealed in delight, reaching out to pat any part of the dragon he could. Ravenlight helped her get settled. "There we go...yes, that's the most comfortable spot. Legs covered under you? Good." She moved back slightly. "I'll see if Drelasa has something to help tie Dusty to you; he'll probably squirm around worse than Nevusa did, and he won't have a cat's balance." She hopped down, just as the man stepped forward, still complaining. As he did, Paarthurnax lifted his head-slowly enough not to startle or unseat his novice passenger, then turned toward him.

He fixed his eyes on the man...and snorted.

Drelasa's murder eyes turned swiftly to wicked delight as Fethis was nearly bowled over and laughed uproariously as he scrambled backwards. "You think she's safer here or with _him_?" She pointed at Paarthurnax. "If you stop me now, you'll have your son-in-law to answer to. He doesn't know about this yet. What part about you am I going to tell?"

Fethis stammered but had no good answer.

"Plus," Ravenlight added lightly, stepping up to Drelasa, "she will soon be surrounded by half the warriors in Skyrim, and then some. Drelasa, do you have anything I can use to anchor Dusty? Something tells me he's going to be a little more excited than is really good for him in a few minutes, and I'd like to spare his mother the heart attacks."

"Little wiggler. Yes, here." Drelasa pulled out a long shawl dyed in the rather muted colors the Dunmer prefered.

"Thank you." Ravenlight took the shawl and climbed back up, balancing effortlessly on the raised neck. She came up behind Dreyla and helped her tie the baby to her chest. "There. And you'll keep each other warmer that way, too. It'll get pretty cold up in the air." Finished, she turned back toward Drelasa. "I think it's best if you go with her; she knows you best. Need some help coming up?"

Drelasa climbed up. "I've got it, thank you, darling."

Dusty started fussing, not pleased at all at being confined like this.

"He might calm down in the air," Ravenlight said. "Or...not. But it'll only be two hours before you're at Windstad; not too long." She waited until both women had settled themselves securely, and Drelasa had an additional shawl around Dreyna's shoulders, before hopping down and nodding to Paarthurnax. "I'll see you at Windstad Manor, then."

"_Geh._" He smiled a little. "We may _tinvaak_ there for longer, or perhaps not. We shall see."

Drelasa gripped Dreyla firmly as he reared back, crouched, then launched himself into the air and flew away.

* * *

**(Yep, curveball! We weren't...quite...making this up as we went along.  
Who am I kidding. We had a few end destinations in mind, but otherwise, we were _totally_ making it up as we went along. Please review and let us know what you think, we love to hear from y'all!)**


	26. Unexpected Reunions

**Unexpected Reunions**

Dusty did settle down a bit when they took off, laughing and bouncing excitedly at the rush of motion. But as the minutes ticked away and he remained bound to his mother, his enthusiasm turned to irritation, and he began to fuss and kick-much to Dreyla's dismay. Paarthurnax, however, paid no attention to the increasingly irate baby.

Behind them, Ravenlight had beckoned the other two dragons down, one at a time. Zak and Drizzt mounted the first and were sent off after Paarthurnax; then she and Kaelen mounted the third and soared away themselves.

She wasn't sure how Zak was enjoying his first coherent ride on dragonback; but Kaelen, though keeping his mouth firmly shut, was hanging onto her for dear life, and she could feel the tension in him every the dragon adjusted to a crosswind or stray breeze.

Fortunately for all involved, the two hours were over quickly, and it was not long before they landed in front of the manor-much to the astonishment of the gathered Companions.

Dreyla struggled with the baby as he screamed his displeasure, stammering apologies to the dragon. As soon as they landed, she untied him and he instantly stopped crying.

Paarthurnax chuckled. "He did not like being bound, I see." He lowered his head almost to the ground to make it easier for the two to dismount.

"No. He likes being free to crawl around. Even as a newborn he hated being swaddled..." Dreyla said.

Behind them, the second dragon landed, and Zak showed how much he enjoyed being in the air by vaulting off its neck almost before it had reached the ground. He landed, rolled, and moved away, not quite shaking uncontrollably, but definitely not happy about where he'd just been.

"Well at least he's feeling good enough to do that." Drelasa said. Then she looked up. "Oh, this will be interesting..."

Dusty squealed happily as, attracted by the familiar cries he was _not_ expecting to hear, his father came over.

"Veleth," Ravenlight greeted as she hopped down. Behind her, Kaelen dismounted, not _quite_ as eagerly as Zak, but very near to it.

"Ravenlight." He went past to Dreyla, who about collapsed. He scooped the baby into one arm and held Dreyla up with the other. "So...they decided to play by different rules then?"

"More like by the rules they were already playing by: going after the family." Ravenlight grimaced. "Do you know where Gyrmallion is? There's something he may know about that we need to ask about, pretty urgently."

"He was checking on the others last I checked..." he said. "Late start after a late night and all..."

"How is everyone, by the way?" Drizzt dismounted and came over. "We didn't exactly have time to find out before we left."

"Gyrmallion was the worst off but...I think it was less the injuries and more Nevano's help that made his night interesting." Veleth rolled his eyes, leading them all inside. "Everyone else had minor injuries."

"I saw the claw marks," Ravenlight said wryly. "Otherwise...do I _want_ to know?"

"It was friendly and he was almost fully on his best behavior." Veleth sighed. "However… if Gyrmallion ever gets uppity, just remind him of striped horses singing raunchy tavern songs."

"I...see."

A voice spoke from by the hearth. "The one with the golden eyes...Nevano, I think? gave him a swig of this...extraordinarily potent brandy. It got him drunk almost instantly." Elealda was stirring the fire, and a pot that...while not quite as aromatic as what Ravenlight could pull off, at least didn't reek as badly as some she remembered. "And I'm glad to see you two, because this is the extent of my cooking abilities, and I'm not sure how happy some of those warriors out there will be with it."

Drelasa bustled over. "Oh this is not bad at all. Don't sell yourself short. Here, just get a few vegetables and add a few pinches of this...and potent brandy? He brought that damned Dagoth brandy didn't he? Ugh. Stuff can pickle a gourd at thirty paces."

Veleth settled Dreyla by them, considering giving her a drop of the stuff. Dusty seemed absolutely no worse for wear, happily reaching for Elealda's hair.

"That's what he called it, Dagoth brandy." She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it. He took a single _swallow_ of it and couldn't move ten minutes later. And...I might have irritated Nevano by insisting he remember I'd asked him to find someone large to cart him inside after he got...distracted...because he was suggesting 'new names' for us before he vanished last night, all of them in Dunmeris, and even without knowing it, I can tell they're all _quite_ insulting."

"Mildly, actually. The first few were teasing." Veleth snorted. "What he said _after_ he was...interrupted was a bit more colorful. And not so nice."

Drelasa slapped a hand to her face with a groan.

"That...sounds like him." Dreyla said with a weak smile.

"What was distracting him?" Kaelen asked.

"If I had to guess?" Ravenlight said dryly, "Serana."

"First place goes to..." Veleth motioned at her. "Don't think any of you saw his face when Serana destroyed that ancient. He about tripped over his own swords. Well, the left one at least."

"I _could_ have waited until they'd finished kissing, but it looked like it was going to take a while," Elealda said. "And I needed Gyrmallion moved rather...urgently. He certainly wasn't in any position to be moving himself, and I had a line to take care of."

"Considering they still haven't come back, accurate." Veleth said. "Though striped singing horses really made up for all that!"

"Yes, I'm sure it did, thank you," a dry voice came from behind them as Gyrmallion entered. "You've only reminded me of it six times already. Tellindil said you wanted to ask me something?"

"What can I say? You sing better than the pirates I normally have to watch after!" Veleth laughed.

Dusty laughed along with him.

"You think that's funny too?" Veleth grinned at his son, bouncing him up. "Maybe you can convince him to do it again."

Dusty blew raspberries and laughed hysterically.

"He's cute." Gyrmallion smiled at the little boy. "But he's not going to convince me to take another swig of that stuff unless I get another set of hybrid demon claws in me-and in something more painful than my shoulder. What was it you were wanting to know?"

"Something called the Heart of the Empire," Ravenlight answered. "That last demon said something about it before it was...destroyed for trying to talk, I guess."

Gyrmallion went rigid. "The Heart of the Empire?" His voice was a suddenly-hoarse whisper.

"I tried to get him to speak on it to spare you but I might have pushed too far..." Drelasa said.

"No, I was watching," Ravenlight answered grimly. "It was _trying_ to speak. That one was a coward. Something was keeping it from talking-and then killed it when it said even as much as it did." She glanced at Gyrmallion. "So you do know what it was talking about."

He sank into a chair, his hands clenching and unclenching, before he nodded. "It's...the most closely-guarded secret I have. I...for over thirty years now, I've kept it silent." He smiled a little. "But...I guess it doesn't matter now. Because the reason I kept it silent...well...was because I was a Thalmor, and it would have cost me my life and the life of my men. Now, though..."

He shrugged, but it still took a bit of a struggle before he began talking. "About three years into the Great War, General Naarifen called me away from hunting the Blades. I'd proved...capable of finding difficult targets, and he had another job for me: hunt down and destroy what he called 'the Heart of the Empire'. To cut a long story short, I found it, and took a hand-picked group to go in and destroy it." He inhaled. "I had expected...an artifact of sorts, whether symbolic or magical. What I _found_ was a terrified young woman in rich clothes, clutching two small children to herself."

"Symbolic...the emperor's family?" Veleth asked.

"Yes. He hoped that by killing them, we would cut the heart out of the Emperor, and stem the resistance." His hands clenched. "Naarifen, as it turned out, made a mistake. Because it was not all that long ago that I had clutched the bodies of a woman and two children to _me_: my wife and twin sons, murdered when-I thought-the Blades destroyed the town of Glasryn in Elswyr. And I didn't care _who_ they were or what race they belonged to. I was not going to inflict that pain on anyone else." His hands had briefly relaxed; now they clenched again. "I knew that, were I to simply refuse, my men and I would be killed, and another group sent to finish the task we failed. So I hid them. There was a place I knew they would be both hidden and safe. I took their seals, their clothes...dipped them in blood, turned them over to Naarifen." He grimaced. "He expressed disappointment that I hadn't brought anything more… tangible, but believed me when I told him the other tokens were no longer recognizable. In the meantime, I sent her and her children to-to safety, gods, I still can't say where that is out loud-and set up a ward with them, to warn me if they were on the verge of being discovered."

"But now Naarifen is but a memory swinging from the White Gold tower and Molag Bal is looking." Drelasa said, stirring the pot. "While I have no doubt you have powerful wards around them, are they strong enough to keep these hybrid demons out? He's daring to attack us _here_ and he dared attack in the middle of the day in the center of a large, busy city. Whatever we think he won't do...needs to be shoved aside. He will."

"You're right." He stood. "Ravenlight, do you have a map of Tamriel? It occurs to me that the name itself might not mean anything without a map to show where it is."

"I do, actually. Kind of old, but...it at least shows the countries." She stood and went into the back, returning a few moments later with a rolled piece of parchment. They gathered around as she spread it out.

Gyrmallion searched for a moment, then tapped it. "There. Glimmosven Island. Belongs to my family; tiny little piece of land everyone forgot about, except I used to spend summers there as a boy and was always fond of the place. The estate there was supposedly falling into ruin, no one had been there for decades." He smirked. "Except it wasn't. A small clan of Khajiit have been living there. I found them when I was a child and befriended them; helped maintain the deception that the place was a worthless ruin to keep anyone from shoving them off. "

"So, not in the Imperial City." Drelasa said. "In that case, we must move quickly. But there is a small problem I wish to address."

"Which is?" Everyone looked at her.

"Defeating the damned things." Drelasa said. "It takes an enormous amount of energy and magic to channel the Daedra Lords. We can't keep doing that. Not if they get smart and send several at us at once. Ravenlight and Drizzt are channeling Aedra and, as soon as Zak settles in his power, Ebonarm. That makes six of us that can actually send these things back to hell. That is not nearly enough."

Ravenlight suddenly jerked up. "Imbuing weapons with the power of the Divines. I said that-and I think I know how to _do_ it. If I'm right-and I don't have any reason to believe it won't work-we'll be able to arm _everyone_ in our army with weapons that can handle those things." She turned and ran for the cellar. "I'm going to go see if I'm right!"

"The good news is that Mephala has not been idle all this time." Drelasa said. "There is something we can seek. A weapon. Mephala seems to think that if we can find this weapon, we can learn the enchantment on it and put that enchantment on other weapons."

"What sort of weapon?" Gyrmallion leaned forward a little.

"For that...we need Nevano. Well, more than that, we need Nerevar." Drelasa said. "Mephala will never come out and say anything directly. She is weaving her web but she whispered to me a few strands. Enchantment, weapon and Nerevar." Drelasa raised one hand, clouds rolling overhead. "I hate to interrupt but I wish to know this. If it's something that will arm all the warriors here, it's worth any effort we can."

"Especially since we got eighty five more hybrid demons left to kill." Veleth said. "Well… eighty four now." He amended.

"That's still...a lot," Zak said reluctantly. "And if more of them have tricks like the last one..."

"I'm fairly certain we've only seen the weakest ones." Veleth said, twitching a little as a single crack of thunder made the trees shudder.

"That will bring him running," muttered Drizzt. "Probably cranky as a bear with a sore paw, but...it'll bring him."

Drelasa smiled at him. "He's had all night. He shall survive this injustice and be thankful I didn't bring that lightning bolt _on_ him."

"He certainly did." Catti-Brie appeared, coming down the stairs, baby in arm. "I don't know _where_ they went, but I saw _when_ they slipped off together, right after Veleth brought Gyrmallion inside."

Drelasa merely smiled happily at that.

Dreyla's eyes went wide. "Wait...Nevano is...?"

"They've been very...obvious about it," Drizzt said, walking over to Catti-Brie for a quick kiss before accepting Alustra. "I don't think they _realize_ how obvious they've been, though."

Dreyla blinked.

"He crashed headfirst into it." Veleth smiled at her. "Funny enough, I think Nevusa did too."

"What is in the water here?" Dreyla asked.

Dusty merely headbutted his father in the chest hard enough to earn a grunt and giggled.

"Right in the burn." Veleth winced. "Good aim there...I think."

"Didn't know you'd been burned there," Elealda commented wryly, "unless you're talking about that seared-shut wound."

"That one." Veleth said.

"Wait what?" Dreyla was on that quick. "What seared-shut wound? What did you get yourself into this time?"

"Aye, calm down. Boethiah got testy and I didn't dodge it fast enough." Veleth said. "She helpfully sealed it later. It's fine, just sore when a baby suddenly turns into a mini kagouti and headbutts it."

A second roll of thunder interrupted them, this one with a very obvious flash and a burst of cold wind. Drelasa's expression was going flat and she was stirring the pot a bit harder than necessary.

Fortunately for them, the door banged open a minute later, Serana and Nevano hurrying inside. Both looked rather...disheveled.

"You thundered?" Nevano panted.

"Sorry," Serana gasped. "But we fell asleep, and then when we woke up, we had to get-" she broke off with a squeak as she realized how many people were in the room.

Nevano blinked. "Dreyla? What are you...? Why are you and Dusty here?" He looked at Veleth's thunderous expression. "Oh no...the demons again?"

"There's more than that." Drelasa motioned. "Sit...and I need to speak to Nerevar."

"He used up too much energy fighting last night but he's listening." Nevano said. "I'll pass along what he says."

Drelasa nodded and repeated the story, starting from when they landed at the Throat of the World all the way until they landed. "I don't think the weapon mentioned is Trueflame or Hopesfire because you didn't use those."

"No...not them." Nevano trailed off, his eyes going distant. "He knows what you are talking about."

Everyone leaned forward slightly. "What is that?"

"It's a knife." Nevano said. "Vivec used it to actually kill one of those demons called… City-Face? Are you kidding? No, okay. It's...hang on, he's all over the place. He's having a hard time concentrating. He picked up the knife after Vivec threw it aside. Why, he won't say. Just said the sermons are _wrong_. Well, yeah, we knew that." Nevano said. "The knife had an emotional connection and he cannot settle on it. Which means he did something he greatly regrets and I suspect I know what. Name first, Nerevar. Ethos Knife! It was called the Ethos Knife!"

"Ethos Knife," Catti-Brie mused. "I wonder...I don't know if scrying works the same way here as it does back at home...but if he could tell us a little more about it, I might be able to see where it can be found now." She grimaced. "Though...emphasis on _might_. Scrying still isn't really a sure thing for me."

"I'm trying. As I said, he's being really squirmy about it." Nevano tilted his head back and forth. "Only one topic gets him this evasive and that's the Battle of Red Mountain OW! _Vith!_" Nevano rubbed at his ear furiously. "Apparently I was right. Trueflame was shattered in that battle...he used the Ethos Knife to kill Dumac, didn't you Nerevar? Nerevar?"

"Who was Dumac?" Zak asked.

"Dumac was the Dwemer king...and a friend of Nerevar's." Nevano said. "Nerevar managed to get peace between the Chimer and the Dwemer, even a friendship. He considered Dumac a very close friend. But they were both betrayed and they never knew it. Their friendship was destroyed and the two races went to war, though both kings were very reluctant over it. The end result was Nerevar killed Dumac, apparently with the Ethos Knife, the Dwemer disappeared entirely through...mysterious means, and Nerevar was murdered by Vivec, Sotha Sil and Almalexia. Voryn Dagoth went missing only to re-emerge as Dagoth Ur, and I had to clean that whole mess up."

There was a collective exhale. "I...can see why he wouldn't like to talk about it," Gyrmallion muttered.

"I got to meet three out of four of them." Nevano said. "Each time, he about lost it. Can't say I blame him. Only one of those close to him didn't betray him. Just one and history doesn't like remembering him so much. As for the knife...I don't think he knows what happened to it. Given that he lived only a few hours after all that happened and what all happened after the battle, there's no telling where it is. There wasn't just Dwemer and Chimer there that day. There were Nords, Orcs and even some Khajiit were rumored to be there. Anyone could have picked that knife up and taken it home."

"Khajii-" Gyrmallion's eyes widened. "Gods above!"

"What?" Nevano asked. "Oh please tell me you know where it is!"

"I might! The Khajiit tribe on Glimmosven-back when I first met them, they were _extremely_ suspicious of me. And before you say it was because I was a Thalmor, I was seven years old when I met them, just old enough to keep a secret. Once they found out I wasn't going to blab about them living in the ruins of the old estate, one of the elders of the clan told me they were protecting something: an ancient weapon of Mephala, brought by their ancestors from the slopes of Red Mountain. When I got older, I half-suspected they were making up stories to make them seem more important-but I was friends with them then, and wouldn't have told anyone anyway."

"Nerevar didn't say anything about it being Mephala's..." Nevano said.

"Mephala was the anticipation of Vivec though." Veleth said. "So...makes sense."

"And it would make more sense, considering that the knife was used for almost the same purpose as the Ebony Blade." They jumped at Ravenlight's voice: none of them had heard her come back. She held a sheathed glass sword in one hand, and looked _exceedingly_ pleased with herself. "It worked."

"What worked?" Nevano asked though he almost regretted asking.

"The consecration." She held out the blade. "Veleth, I'm not sure you should touch it: I specifically asked the Aedra who would give aid against Molag Bal, and Arkay and Stendarr answered. But...get near it, it's more than possible to sense their power in it."

Veleth held his hands up. "Boethiah is declaring no enmity with the Aedra in this but I refuse to test that."

"Wise idea." Ravenlight grimaced. "Like I said, I don't know if _you_ should touch it. But...there's power here. And I'm willing to believe it could take down one of those demon hybrids."

Nevano snorted. "I feel like there is so much daedric influence floating around that the Aedra are starting to feel a little left out. And though I don't want to really test that out...we probably won't have to wait long. So, we got this and we get the Ethos Knife. Have the Daedra solution and the Aedra solution. Everyone can pick which they want. Molag Bal gets his ass kicked in the end."

"Won't argue with that." She set the blade to the side, where it wouldn't be accidentally knocked over or banged into by anyone. "We need to reach the Heart of the Empire as fast as possible, which will mean dragonback..." she sighed, "_again_...but if it gets them safe, I won't complain."

"Can take Nevusa and ride as a cat." Nevano suggested.

"I think I will this time around." She looked at Gyrmallion. "You'll have to come, too, obviously; if this clan is suspicious of outsiders-and has been hiding the Emperor's heirs for the past thirty years-there's no way they're going to trust some random strangers who arrive on dragonback."

He grimaced, but nodded. "I expected that."

Nevano grunted. "Nerevar wants to go too, but I will leave that to you."

Gyrmallion hesitated. "I...wouldn't mind his company. If you don't."

Nevano laughed. "He rents a room in here." He pointed to his own head. "I have his company whether I want it or not. He might not be able to come through the whole time but if he says something, I will let you know."

"I don't care if you come." Ravenlight shrugged. "I've got the name of an Elder Dragon I can call; give Odahviing a rest. He won't mind not having to ferry us across the entire continent." She looked at the map and went still. "Oh...Glimmosven is...near Valenwood."

"I would like it, then." Gyrmallion said. He glanced over at Ravenlight. "Is there...a problem?"

"Not really. It's just...I haven't been back to Valenwood since I left there. Nearly a hundred years ago now."

Nevano didn't say anything. He knew that pain. He didn't know what to tell her to make it any better.

She sighed, stroking the map. "If we see...my home village's tree...I may ask to stop. To see them all again. I don't know if we will. Cothy'rim is _tiny_, and its path is...erratic. It's what saved us during..." She glanced at Gyrmallion and fell silent.

"I'll get my bag." Nevano said. "Better not take too long in going. Molag Bal won't wait." He took Serana's hand and left the room.

Gyrmallion stood and gently, almost hesitantly, put his hand on Ravenlight's shoulder. "I...am sorry," he said quietly.

She glanced at his hand, then at him, a little smile on her face. "You weren't involved in that, were you?" she said. "The Purges."

He hesitated, then shook his head. "No. But I was...a Thalmor, at the time."

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I don't think you'd have...agreed, or gone along with it. Not if what you told us about the Heart of the Empire is true. You weren't involved. You're not responsible, and I don't blame you."

"Nevano thinks differently," he said quietly.

"Nevano does not have a dragon living in him that would _happily_ take that hatred and run with it," she said, her mouth twisting. "I've seen Alduin, I've seen Miraak, and I do _not_ want to become anything like them."

"Nevano shared that brandy with you." Veleth said flatly. "He's slowly changing his mind."

Gyrmallion nodded. "I will...accept that. It definitely made...getting stitched back up easier."

"Also, him coming up with stupid nicknames for you is also his way of showing approval." Veleth set Dusty on the ground and let him crawl around. "There are far worse things to be called than an Alit tongue."

"Like the things Elealda said he was suggesting after she made him get you to bring me inside?" He was smiling as he said it.

"No that was before. What he said to _her_ was, very roughly, go drink vinegar." Veleth said.

All the Altmer laughed at that. "I wish I'd known," Elealda said. "I'd have asked him how he knew the condition of our camp drinks!"

"That is just an innate thing with him." Veleth smirked.

"So, Gyrmallion, that ward thing you mentioned: is there any way you can tell if they're being hunted yet or not?" Ravenlight turned to him. "Because I'd like to prepare a little this time, if possible."

Gyrmallion frowned, then nodded. "I'll need a few things to set it up, but yes. I can check-and _might_ even be able to strengthen the ward to hide them from Bal, even from here. I'll certainly give it a try."

Veleth redirected Dusty from crawling into trouble. "I'll let Nevusa know. Peel her off of Farkas."

"All right." Ravenlight beckoned to Gyrmallion. "This way, I'll show you a decent place to set up; and let me know what you need. If it's not something that has to come from outside Skyrim, chances are good I've got some or know where to get it."

* * *

It had only taken Nevano a moment to grab his bag but it was merely an excuse. He'd rather be with Serana but the room had been a bit too crowded for her.

He chose a spot and settled down with her. "Always something, isn't it?" She curled her fingers around his hand, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Almost always is." She sighed. "Though not usually this...frantic. Do you know when you're planning to leave?"

"Given how Molag Bal has this unhealthy obsession with kids, probably as soon as they can stomach it." Nevano frowned. "I really don't like how he's targeting the small ones. That's sinking to a very low and very dangerous level. Low even for a Daedra Lord."

Serana hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I...don't like remembering, but now I do. How old would you say I...well, not _am_...but _was_ when it...stopped?"

"Like me. Far too young." He said. "A child yourself but then the rest of it was stolen."

She smiled, then it slipped. "I had...a sister. Almera. She was..." She swallowed. "Offered, the same as me. My mother underwent the ceremony...in hopes of keeping her from it." She closed her eyes. "My father...offered her anyway, while Mother was transitioning. Almera was...twelve." She took a shuddering breath. "She didn't survive. Remembering her hurt so bad that I...I blocked her from my memory for...millenia afterward. I had just transitioned as well...but I saw...what he did to her. He was even _more_ eager for her than he...had been for me."

Nevano shuddered. "Gods..."

"He's always targeted the little ones," she whispered. "He hungers for their...their innocence. My father made sure I stayed a virgin until he knew that Bal would...answer the summons, for that reason."

"Anything that hungers for a child like that..." Nevano winced. "One thing my people do right is they have no tolerance for that. We _shuned_ them. It's rare, very rare. It's a fate worse than death. The ancestors shun them, rejecting them. They destroy the soul as the body is destroyed. They become miserable, shambling wrecks, kept in the graveyards in Necrom, used as punching bags for training soldiers. For those that prey on children? It's a fitting end."

She buried her face in his neck. "I wish we could do that for Bal, and all his creatures," she whispered.

He held her close. "When Dagon tried to take over Cyrodiil and failed, the other lords made fun of him. They still do. Bal? No one is laughing. Not even Sanguine or Sheogorath. We will humiliate him on this plane and then let the Daedra Lords get creative in their punishments while we focus on building a life."

She nodded. "I...we can do that." She was quiet for a few moments longer. "I...have to tell… Did you hear...about the undercroft of Castle Volkihar? I know Ravenlight will sometimes mention it to people. It's one of those things you...you _have_ to tell about."

"I heard mentions but nothing other than a shudder."

"There were over five thousand year's worth of bones in there. Vampires go through thralls...quickly. The strongest might last a decade. The weaker ones only last a week, and that's not counting the..." she pressed her lips together, "the _playthings_ of an evening. _Hundreds_ of thousands of skeletons. I hadn't known...they threw the bodies of the women who didn't survive the ritual down there, as well. And...their spirits stayed there, fearing to rise, fearing to be caught by the power of Molag Bal's altar above, and dragged to Coldharbor. Almera was there. So many people I knew..." She swallowed. "I didn't recognize her when we first went through. She knew me, called to me, but I didn't remember her. I knew her on the way back."

She stared ahead, blinking back tears. "When we destroyed the Volkihar clan-killed my father-we smashed the altar. Ravenlight, Drizzt, me-everyone in the Dawnguard, almost. We smashed it to _dust_ and threw the dust in the ocean. And I felt the spirits...finally rise. Finally leave the Undercroft. And I...I didn't know if they'd still be able to escape. So I jammed the Dawnbreaker into the floor where the altar had stood, and prayed that, if they couldn't rise to Aetherius...that Meridia would take them, and keep them safe from Bal." She wiped her eyes. "Almera was the last to leave. I really couldn't see most of the others; just heard their whispers as they rose. She touched my face...and thanked me."

Nevano wiped her tears away. "They are free from it. You freed them."

She nodded. "It...I won't say it freed _me_, yet, but...I know my clan's legacy is now...only me. My mother is back on this plane; she ended her time in the Soul Cairn when my father died. But she is content in what we left of the castle: creating blood potions, tending her garden. She spent five thousand years in the Soul Cairn, just as I spent five thousand years imprisoned in a stone coffin; she is happy now in the wind and the rain, and the moonlight." She swallowed. "And I...I want to live." Her hand found his again. "With you."

He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "We have a lot of living to do, together. I got centuries, you got thousands to make up for. This time, no one can take it from us."

* * *

Ravenlight saw them and carefully backed away, making sure to make no noise on the floor. She turned and smiled at Drelasa, walking close to her to talk quietly. "Would you happen to know if we've had word back yet from Erandur or the College? This needs to happen, and preferably soon."

"All the excitement I haven't been looking." She whispered. "I can go check."

"Please. Third floor of the alchemy tower, at the roof. Nest right behind the cupola. If a reply came and no one was here to accept it, they leave them there."

Drelasa disappeared without a sound.

Ravenlight and Catti-Brie exchanged a grin. Elealda glanced at them curiously, eyebrows raised. "Is there something I should know about?"

Ravenlight considered, then explained the situation between Nevano and Serana in a few words. The surgeon's eyes lit up, and she barely held back a squeal.

"A wedding-you're planning a wedding for them?!"

Dreyla looked up, her eyes sparkling. "I...can't believe what I'm hearing. Really and truly?"

"Really and truly." Ravenlight grinned. "I got his armor spruced up for the purpose-it really looks nice-got the rings made...Serana's going to borrow a dress Nevano found for me to wow the crowds back in Blacklight, it looks like something off a statue of Azura, and she is _stunning_ in it...and I've sent messages to a priest of Mara _and_ a priestess of Azura about it. That's what Drelasa's going up to see, if they've answered yet."

Dreyla put her hand to her mouth and giggled. "How did you get him _out_ of it? I've only seen him out of it one time and that was with Drelasa cursing up a storm trying to keep his skin on."

Ravenlight covered her own mouth to keep back a snorted laugh. "He was thrown headfirst into the swamp by a daedroth. Muddy from his head to his heels, and _reeking_, it was one of those nasty stagnant pools. I demanded he skin out of it before I did it myself, and Serana coaxed him along." She giggled. "Even got his boots."

"Oh gods." Dreyla giggled openly. "He would take those and throw them at Veleth when he got irritated. Chases my big, bad husband from the room every time."

"They were...well, _rank_ is putting it mildly. The lining, however, got introduced to the inside of my foundry about three seconds after the stench hit me, so there's new lining now, and they don't reek so badly. Resoled them, too, and mended the really bad parts on the top. There's enough of the old boots left to keep him from griping...but they're considerably more pleasant to be around now."

"What still needs to be done?" Elealda leaned forward eagerly.

"Yes!" Dreyla lit up. "Let us know how we can help."

"Well..." Ravenlight considered. "We're having the wedding on the portico of Meridia's Temple, just outside Solitude. Serana is...I won't say a _champion_ of Meridia, but I do think it's safe to call her a favorite, so the location felt right. It's a nice spot...but aside from the statue of Merida, and the little altar where her beacon is, the area is pretty bare. It's spring now, so there will be _mounds_ of mountain flowers around the area, not hard to gather...and since Drizzt and Zak are not coming with us for this little jaunt, they can go with you and get rid of any predators or bandits that might be in the area."

"I'll help with that, too," Catti-Brie offered, eyes twinkling.

"Oh, this will be fun!" Dreyla said.

Drelasa came down and handed Ravenlight a small stack. "You had quite a few."

"Oh, wow. The hawks were busy." Ravenlight took the letters and flipped through them. "Riften, Windhelm, Winterhold-" she ripped that one open and quickly paged through it-"Yes, they got my message and they're bringing her. Most of them will go on to Whiterun, but Faralda will bring Aranea here. Let's see...Delphine, ah, she got hold of Madanach, I hope that means they're coming...Solitude, I'll need to read that, Elisef probably needs help again… Dawnstar… Ah! And Erandur!" She set most of the letters aside and opened the last. "And he's coming, too. He'll start tomorrow morning and probably be here by mid-afternoon, and Aranea and Faralda are coming by boat, so they should be here at roughly the same time." She grinned at the others. "They're coming! It's happening!"

Drelasa nearly danced. "Oh, I can't believe it!"

"I don't know how long it will take to retrieve the Heart of the Empire," Ravenlight said, "but we'll try to be back as soon as possible. If you could have everything ready by then..." She grinned, "then once we're back, I will bring the last element, which will be the groom."

"Drop him in a lake along the way." Drelasa grinned. "We'll have everything ready. As soon as you touch the ground we'll get him ready and drop him at the altar. Oh I wish I had a way to immortalize the look on his face when he realizes what's going on!"

"So do I," Ravenlight admitted. "This...no matter how it goes, this will be the perfect end to this little trip."

"Hopefully a lovely end for the new guests too." Drelasa said.

"Or a lovely middle before the reunion." Ravenlight chuckled. "They likely won't consider it ended until they're back at home. Which is understandable."

"Hmm true. Especially since I don't think it's going to be pleasant there." Drelasa said. "Though...let's try to aim for dawn."

Footsteps came down the stairs, and they turned to see Gyrmallion. He looked tired, but pleased. "The wards are still strong, and nothing has dared them yet," he reported. "And I was able to strengthen them to not merely warn me, but actually keep back anything that tries to attack."

"Good. Hopefully that means nothing will be able to claw you to shreds before you notice it." Drelasa said.

"About that..." Gyrmallion looked over at Ravenlight. "Do you have a problem with me carrying that sword you consecrated earlier? I'd like to be able to know that the weapon I'm carrying will be able to harm one of those things."

"I do not mind at all," she answered. "And...you know what, there's a suit of armor I made with you and yours in mind down in the forge room. You might as well put that on, too: might protect you a little better if we do run into one of those things." She sighed. "I'm going to wear the dragon armor just in case; hopefully it won't interfere too much with Nevusa's spell."

"It managed around the Ebony Mail just fine." Drelasa smiled. "That dragon bone is thicker but I think it'll manage. Or you'll be an armored cat."

She shrugged. "Probably won't be any more uncomfortable, and at least that way I won't have to _sit_ the whole way through. I haven't been this sore since we had to race back from Labyrinthian." She looked around. "Speaking of Nevusa, though...how long ago did Veleth say he'd find her?"

As if on cue, Veleth returned, smirking and dragging Nevusa, who was cursing wildly and colorfully in several languages, by the foot.

"Here. This is yours now." His smirk grew wider as he dropped Nevusa's foot and scooped up Dusty. "Whew, 'Vusa, you kiss your new lover with that mouth?"

"Had to literally drag her away, did you?" Ravenlight blinked down at her.

"I gave her options." Veleth grinned as Dusty laughed.

Nevusa glared heatedly.

"We've got to head down to an island off the coast of Valenwood to head off the next attack of Bal's children," Ravenlight explained, "and I am _incredibly_ sore from all the riding. Once I call the dragon in, I'm perfectly willing to go as a cat or something similar."

"Oh. See if the bull-headed idiot had _said_ that." She made a rude gesture at Veleth who ignored her. "Sure. I actually think I got a form you'll like. I practiced last night on a few vampires. Worked perfect."

Ravenlight held up a hand to stem her enthusiasm slightly. "I need to get my dragon armor on, and my weapons. And Nevano's coming, probably in regular form, as is Gyrmallion, because he's the only one these people will trust."

"Yeah he did the cat thing as a favor but I doubt he'll do it again..." She said. "Too bad. Gyrmallion would make a pretty kitty."

"Well, he wants to talk with Nerevar." Ravenlight shrugged. "I'll go get my armor on, then call Kriifaadneh, and possibly explain to him why you're turning me into a cat before it happens."

"Not a cat this time. Don't worry! You'll like it!" Nevusa said. "I'll get my things!"

Ravenlight watched her go with some misgivings, then shook her head and went upstairs to get on her dragon armor.

"I'm dragging her back again, aren't I?" Veleth sighed.

"Almost assuredly." Drelasa took Dusty from him for her turn to cuddle him.

* * *

About five minutes later, they heard the trapdoor open, then light steps approached. One of the Altmer who'd been in the back let out a stunned exclamation in Aldmeri. A moment later, Gyrmallion entered the front room, clad in the striking armor Ravenlight had previously shown Drelasa. It fit him perfectly.

"Oh that looks even better on you." Drelasa said appreciatively.

"Definitely not Thalmor." Veleth said, though there was a definite note of approval in his tone.

"No, definitely not Thalmor." He held out one arm, looking at the gauntlets with a sort of dazed admiration. "This is..."

The stairs above creaked, and Ravenlight came down, once again in her intimidating dragon-scale armor. "Oh, that looks good on you. Does it fit properly?"

"We might find a different name than 'Alit tongue' but...you _really_ need a different title." Veleth said. Dusty stuck his tongue out when he heard 'tongue'.

"Chii Chare," said Elealda suddenly. They all looked at her. "The Transformed People. It's a fair description of us, isn't it? And it will...appeal to the others still in the ranks who I know are getting sick of the fighting."

Drelasa smiled. "That is a good one. I like it."

"So do I," Ravenlight said.

Gyrmallion smiled. "Chii Chare. I like it, too."

Ravenlight looked around. "Are we all ready then? Veleth, go haul Nevusa outside; Drelasa, I think it might be safest if _you_ pried Nevano off Serana. I'll go call the dragon."

Veleth groaned but headed out, bellowing something in Dunmeri at Nevusa as soon as he walked out.

Drelasa returned Dusty to his earlier exploration, which he happily scuttled off to. "Ignore the obvious cursing you hear."

"I'll keep that in mind." Ravenlight exchanged a grin with Drizzt, then headed outside. A few moments later, they heard her Shout. "_KRII FAAD NEH!_"

There was a loud scuffle and Veleth and Nevusa came up, Veleth rubbing his jaw and Nevusa looking distinctly ruffled, rubbing her knuckles.

"Catch her before she reached Farkas?" Drizzt asked, trying to soothe his startled and fussing daughter.

"He keeps that up and he won't get the chance to sire another child." She gave Veleth a nasty glare.

"If you carry your threats out like you hit, I don't think I'm going to lose much sleep." Veleth said easily, which only infuriated her more.

"Did you actually bother to gather anything up before...going to say goodbye?" Gyrmallion asked, trying to hide the smile tugging at the side of his face.

She turned her glare to him, one so nasty it threatened to set him on fire. Then her bag crashed into her so hard it nearly sent her flying.

"Knock it off. You'll see your new sweetheart when you get back." Veleth smirked.

"Least_ I_ won't show up pregnant on his doorstep..." She muttered darkly.

"Oh, ouch." Veleth elbowed her. "That hit a bit below the belt there."

The house shook as something landed nearby, and a deep voice rumbled in the dragon language. Ravenlight answered, partly in _Dovahzuul_, partly in the common tongue.

"I think your ride's here," Drizzt said wryly.

Gyrmallion picked up the sword Ravenlight had displayed to them as consecrated earlier and gasped. "She...wasn't exaggerating. This is a _powerful_ weapon...maybe not an artifact, but close." He fastened it to his belt. "_This_, I think, will make any more of those demons take notice." He glanced at Veleth and Nevusa, shook his head a little, and walked past them out the door.

Veleth shoved her forward. "If you try to turn me into an animal as a parting shot, I wouldn't trust your hair potions ever again."

Nevusa's eyes went wide and she about ran to the dragon.

"One left..." Veleth looked back at the house.

Nevano came flying out of the house faster than anyone had seen him move. "Getonthedragonlet'sgolet'sgoLET'SGO!" He spilled in a rush, staring back at the house like it was about to bite him.

The dragon in question, a massive golden creature with a squarer head than most, and fewer spikes, stared at him in confusion. "And this, _Dovahjud?_"

"This is Nevano, the last of the group." Ravenlight arched an eyebrow at him. "Do I _want_ to know what Drelasa threatened you with to get you out here this fast?"

Veleth was almost twitching over by Drizzt, biting his lip almost bloody to keep from laughing. He knew _exactly_ what his devious mother just did.

"Nope!" Nevano nearly yelped.

"I...see." Ravenlight shook her head. "All right. Kriifaadneh, you understand what the plan is?"

The huge dragon nodded. "_Geh._ It is...strange to me, but I do not...object." He lowered his head enough that they would have little to no difficulty mounting.

"Okay...you ready?" Nevusa asked.

Ravenlight took a deep breath. "Nothing that might impair my balance up there, please."

"You'll be small enough you can hunker down and nothing he does will upset your sense of balance." Nevusa grinned.

"All right then."

With a pop, Ravenlight disappeared and a raven was in her place. "I thought it was a bit fitting," Nevusa admitted. The raven held out her wings and examined them, glanced at Nevusa, and then, with a motion that was oddly like a shrug, flapped up to perch directly behind the dragon's head.

Nevusa turned herself into a cat and leaped up lightly to settle between the two mer.

* * *

Veleth watched as the gold dragon launched itself up and off, a few powerful beats of its wings taking them out of sight quickly. It was only then he allowed the laugh out he had been holding and looked up to see his mother watching from the door.

"Don't you think using a rat was a bit underhanded?" He asked.

"Not at all." Drelasa tossed the mouse off into the brush. "They need to get moving and we have a lot to do in a short amount of time."


	27. Stop in Skingrad

**Stop in Skingrad**

The huge Elder Dragon was a strong flyer, carrying them across the mountains bordering Skyrim to the south in little less than an hour. As the fields of Cyrodiil rolled past beneath them, Gyrmallion relaxed slightly. He glanced back at Nevano. "Do you...get used to this?" he asked, managing to pitch his voice to be heard over the winds, but not so loud as to possibly alert the dragon beneath them. "I mean..."

"Sort of?" Nevano didn't seem all that comfortable, though he couldn't stop looking down. "We aren't over water, so it's...easier."

"Oh-you have a problem with water?" The Altmer grimaced. "Well...Glimmosven isn't _that_ far from Valenwood, at least..."

The raven in front of him, who was hunkered almost flat between the horns and had her eyes shut to boot, twitched at little at the mention of Valenwood.

"There are nasty things in deep water." Nevano didn't look up from the scenery below. "Slaughterfish, dreugh, really huge nasty sea monsters...though my issue with mostly with boats. Never had a single good trip on a boat."

"That I can...understand. I've seen quite a few creatures." He chuckled. "But...well, we had a boat when I was young, and I learned how to operate it. It's been a few years, but...I was a good sailor, before the Oblivion Crisis happened. I haven't been able to sail for the fun of it since then."

"The first time I was introduced to anything to do with sailing, I was below during a storm." Nevano said flatly.

"That would make a difference," Gyrmallion agreed. He gazed past the dragon's neck down below. "I'd...offer to take you out on a smaller boat sometime...only small boats tend to be worse for people who get seasick, _and_...well, there's a part of me that wonders if both of us will still be alive after this is over.

"This isn't the first time I've cheated Death," he continued. "In fact, Elealda will swear before a tribunal and the Eight that I must be on speaking terms with him. But it's never been so...blatant before. Never snatched away from my execution." He stared blankly ahead. "I'm wondering now, how much longer before my luck runs out."

"Cheating death...is kinda what we do." Nevano said lightly, frowning as he watched the forest below.

Gyrmallion glanced back at him, eyebrow raised.

"Sorry. I haven't seen this area in decades." Nevano said. "You'll continue to cheat death until you have fulfilled what it is you are supposed to do. If you had already done what you were supposed to do, you would have died." He finally tore his eyes away. "Did you know there were failed Nerevarines? I wasn't the first one, but I was the last one."

"No. I didn't know that." He sighed. "Probably the fault of _both_ our people. Morrowind is...standoffish. But admittedly, Summerset wasn't interested."

"We left them a long time ago. We were lesser in most Altmer's eyes, especially after we were changed into Dunmer." Nevano said. "We took pride in being able to break away, create our own people and our own culture. We even...took pride in being Dunmer. Most seem to forget it's a curse. An oversight the Thalmor tried to capitalize on. Didn't end well for them but...it was a nasty reminder. Broke me, nearly broke Veleth."

Gyrmallion sighed. "My people have much to answer for. And I'm...sorry, for what they did to you and yours."

"You aren't them." Nevano said. "No more than the Dunmer today are the ones responsible for us being cursed."

The raven cawed in agreement.

"Chii Chare," Gyrmallion mused. "You're right. It's easy to get...lost in recrimination. To forget that there are other paths available."

"I didn't want to be Nerevarine." Nevano said. "I _hated_ it. Why should I care? These were the same people who allowed me to be a slave. I had no love for them. Why should I listen to a god I didn't worship, a weird voice in my head and a group of people who told me to do it or they would hunt me down? But..."

"But?"

"I was with the Urshilaku when an ash storm hit. Unlike the ash storms today...those often had diseases." Nevano's eyes were distant. "Blight and...corprus. Both are gone now, thank the gods but a little girl, no more than six, didn't get inside fast enough. She had caught corprus."

Gyrmallion inhaled hard. "We..._that_ we knew about. The corprus...the blight. And a child...Divines."

"Only one has ever survived it. She wasn't it." Nevano's face grew hard. "I will never forget...listening to her die. Right then I realized that no one there deserved this fate. No matter their past, my past...no one deserved that. Someone needed to do something. So I did. I had many paths I could take. I chose the hardest. There's a lot of things I wished hadn't happened but...I won't regret making sure no more children died in that agony. That disease...hurts. The pain is so bad it turns you insane."

You sound...almost like you know." Gyrmallion's own eyes had grown distant. "Choosing the hardest path..."

"I said there was one survivor, did I not?" Nevano said. " 'Eats their sin and is reborn'. The Card'vel interpret that literally. That's not what it meant at all."

"You did...contract it, then."

"I killed an ash vampire. Polite as hell when he wasn't trying to kill me." Nevano said. "Introduced himself as Dagoth Gares. I have no idea how he talked around all the..." He motioned at his face. "weird stuff that goes on with them. Twisted and...ugh. Anyway, I didn't contract anything. He _gifted_ it to me. I won't forget what he said. 'Even as my master wills, you shall come to him, in his flesh and of his flesh.' Then the pain hit."

"That's..." Gyrmallion shuddered. "I've never met an ash vampire. But during the war...we did come across a coven of vampires taking advantage of the chaos. Another thing I've kept to myself; we were supposed to take the town they were attacking. We wiped out the vampires and reported the town deserted. But the...master of the coven. He was something like you describe: polite, even suave. Almost...charming. Except that he was charming us in preparation for trying to kill us."

"I don't know _who_ called them vampires, because they weren't." Nevano said, almost matter-of-fact. "Real vampires can look normal, even downright gorgeous. Ash vampires...they were once mer, like you or me, but so twisted and malformed you can barely tell. They are missing parts of their faces, or the whole face, or have grown parts that shouldn't be there like tentacles from their mouths. Dagoth Ur was the worst. He wore a mask, his body twisted...but sounded so _normal_. But the feel around him was horrible. We met his shade and it was still so bad Veleth vomited everywhere. Only Nerevar kept my mind from breaking."

Gyrmallion shuddered. "I'm...glad I never saw one, in that case. Damn Falcve to whatever hell will take him; it was his expedition to Morrowind that caused that, I'd wager my..." he paused, "well, I don't know what I actually _own_ right now to wager. My sword-hand, I guess."

"Hmm...that name sounds familiar..." Nevano murmured.

"I don't remember if you were there; Drelasa was. Falcve is one of the three powers at the head of the Aldmeri Dominion, along with his cousin Rumalashorn and Sirinalda. They're as poisonous a group as you'd ever want to meet; fortunately for the rest of the world, they're not working together." He pressed his lips together grimly. "Though that matters little enough to those caught in what damage they still wreak."

"If you catch him, give him to the Card'vel." Nevano said.

"I might." Gyrmallion grimaced. "We'd need an entire _army_ of dragons to get through their defenses, though. They don't expect an attack _on_ the Summerset Isles...but they certainly expect an attack _in_ them. All of them are prepared to keep off an army, because none of them believe that the others are content with what power they have, and they're ready for an attack."

Ravenlight cawed thoughtfully.

"You'll meet the Card'vel. Creepy, powerful magic." Nevano said. "Then they'll eat him."

"He deserves it." Gyrmallion didn't turn a hair. "Actually, they all do, though Rumalashorn...might give them indigestion."

"Uliamu will like you."

"I suspect that's better than her _not_ liking-" He broke off and leaned over. "Look! The City!"

Nevano leaned over to look, Nevusa hopping up as well. To the east, the Imperial City glowed in the afternoon light. The White-Gold Tower looked like a spire of gilded ivory, rising above all of it. Even the dragon glanced over with interest, though he didn't veer in that direction. Nevano said nothing but homesickness tugged at him harder than he thought it would have. Nevusa meowed like crazy, leaning out.

"It's beautiful," Gyrmallion whispered.

Nevano turned away, looking west.

"What are you looking for?" Gyrmallion had noticed the movement.

"...Chorrol." He had almost said 'home'.

Gyrmallion glanced at him, then also turned west, scouring the ground below them. "Look. There." He pointed. "Is that...it?"

Nevano's eyes easily and immediately picked out all the familiar landmarks. Weynon Priory, Castle Chorrol, the chapel to Stendarr, the great oak tree that grew right outside the Fighters Guild hall.

"That's it." His voice was barely audible.

Sitting in front of each other as they were, Gyrmallion couldn't put his hand on Nevano's shoulder. But he found he wanted to.

"Interesting how some things never change..." He said.

"Oh?"

Nevano didn't look to where the graveyard was. That...was too much. Instead, he took in how the city looked now. There was no trace of the fires that had nearly destroyed it decades ago. The memories of that horrid time had faded in the minds of the shorter lived races; but he knew it wasn't erased. Still, life trudged on and thus it did here. He was glad it had.

* * *

Kriifaadneh continued on, the Imperial City and Chorrol growing small behind him. The light below turned golden as the sun drifted toward late afternoon; below, the land grew wilder. After a while, he appeared to start looking for something below. Then he found it. "Brace yourselves, _joor_!"

Nevano grunted. Nevusa yeowled happily as the dragon dove.

The herd of wild horses scattered in panic as he swooped. Most managed to flee: one stumbled over a patch of rough ground, and before it could right itself, the Elder Dragon was on it. There was one panicked scream; then the huge jaws slammed shut, and the cry was broken off. He landed heavily a short distance from the spot he'd seized the horse.

"I must rest and eat," he said. "If you wish to move away for the time being, I will wait for you to return before I return to the skies."

Nevano yelped as he slid off and tumbled arse over tea kettle in the grass. Gyrmallion followed, landing a little more gracefully. Nevusa and Ravenlight also sprang down, both turning back into Mer as they hit the ground.

"Let's get a little ways away," Ravenlight suggested, even before the sound of ripping flesh and bone reached their ears. "Dragons aren't...neat feeders."

Nevano groaned as he got up. "Careful...that's the sound of an Orc mating call around here."

"So we'll watch for any showing up-though I daresay a lusty Orc will be _greatly_ disappointed at what he finds." Ravenlight moved easily down the hill they'd landed on. "More than Orcs to watch out for here, though. Nevusa, don't run off to look at the scenery; there are trolls."

"And goblins and ogres and minotaurs..." Nevano got up, brushing himself off.

Nevusa was eagerly looking around but didn't stray too terribly far.

"See if we can find anything wild to eat while he's resting," Ravenlight mused. "Should have brought a lighter bow. There's probably rabbits."

"Well...we aren't that far from Skingrad..." Nevano said.

"How far is 'that far'?" Gyrmallion flinched as he stretched his legs. "Ow. Getting stiff. Might have to ask to be turned into something for this next leg, or I won't be able to _walk_ when we reach the island."

Nevano looked around. "I think...we aren't far from an old goblin cave. Was a favorite hunting ground of the Fighter's Guild. Less than an hour's walk. We don't have to go into the city. More interested in the farms around it."

"I do have coin," Ravenlight agreed. "And...if they need a small job done around the area instead, it wouldn't be too difficult." She glanced over at the dragon, still visible on the hill. "He'll need to sleep for a few hours after eating, anyway. Be ready to leave once we come back."

She glanced over at Nevano. "What direction is the closest farm?"

"Oh, I was going to steal a sheep. More sheep than people around here." Nevano said. "And just start walking south. We'll hit a farm...or a pasture full of sheep or tomatoes. Or grapes. One of the three."

He got two steps then stopped. "I should...mention though. I haven't been here in a _long_ time so I don't know but..." Nevano twisted his jaw. "As of last time I was here, the count ruled here. He is a vampire. Somehow he's kept up the ruse. If there is one vampire other than Serana who has resisted that evil call, it's Janus Hassildor. He actually hates other vampires. It's interesting."

Ravenlight raised an eyebrow. "Interesting...hm. _And_ interesting that of all the places Kriifaadneh chose to come for a hunt, it would be here. Might be worth finding out if that's still the case."

"I remembered because I was telling Serana about it." He shrugged. "I wanted to bring her here. I guess probably better to scout it out just in case he's lost his mind or is dead. Don't want her to be disappointed..."

"Yeah." Ravenlight grimaced. "That would be...well, disappointing would be the least of it."

"He's been count here for hundreds of years." Nevano tilted his head. "He has to be under a different name...if Hassildor was even his original name. Well, I know a good phrase that will get his attention. Plus it'll be full night. He can't handle the sun like Serana can."

"It'll be full night shortly," Ravenlight noted. She glanced over at Gyrmallion. "Can you tell if they're still safe?"

He nodded, touching a simple silver pendant. "I was able to recreate the original spell to alert me if the wards were being tested, and bind it to this. Nothing so far."

"We've got time, then." Ravenlight turned. "Let's see what we can find out about this count."

Nevano nodded and headed off south. While Skingrad hadn't been someplace he had been sent often, he was still very familiar with the area. After all...some of the best wine in the province came from Skingrad.

* * *

Skingrad was a slightly confusing city at first. The city was built on a hill and thus the buildings were both up and down, everything connected through a series of gates and bridges. Nevano hesitated as they approached one of the main gates.

"Problem?" Ravenlight asked, pulling off her four-horned dragonscale helmet and tucking it under one arm.

"More a 'me' problem than an actual one." Nevano admitted. "Just...been a long time."

"Ah." Ravenlight looked up. "Well... it's not exactly a _problem_, but it _did_ just occur to me that the entire city is going to know about us within five minutes of our walking in the gate, if gossip travels as fast here as it does in Skyrim. We...don't exactly blend in."

"Two Dunmer, a Bosmer and an Altmer walk into town." Nevano snorted.

"Nevano, have you gone _blind?_" Ravenlight gestured, first to herself, and then to Gyrmallion. "Dragonscale armor is nearly unheard of in _Skyrim_, and I know damn well that what Gyrmallion is wearing is unique. _That's_ what's going to attract attention, and far faster than our races."

"I was making a _joke_." He laughed.

"Well..." She shook her head. "Hopefully we'll all still be laughing at the end of this."

"Though he _is_ right in that it's unusual for all three races of Mer to be together at the same time, and not be fighting," Gyrmallion commented wryly.

"_Thank you_!" Nevano threw his hands in the air as he went through the gates, much to the bewilderment to the guards.

"Besides." Nevano didn't seem _that_ concerned. "Most people here are either snobby or are farmers and there's a tavern on every city block selling competing labels. And it's after dark. If they even realize you _have_ armor on, it'll be a small miracle. Surilie wine started here. Everyone is drinking right now."

They meandered the streets and so far, Nevano was right. Most people were either home or preoccupied in the many taverns that dotted the city. It wasn't a raucous noise though. Just normal citizens happily unwinding after a long day. The passing guards gave them strange looks but steered clear once they saw Gyrmallion, their expression switching to careful disinterest.

"Aw, guar shite..." Nevano muttered. "Too many bridges...the castle is south. I think."

Nevusa was too busy looking around, her head whipping back and forth, that she didn't notice she was no longer walking straight. She yelped when she walked right into a much smaller form, both of them tumbling down. "Oh! _Vith,_ I'm sorry!" She scrambled to her feet, helping the old woman to her feet. "Are you alright?"

Ravenlight halted and turned quickly, readying a healing hands spell in case the tumble had been serious.

"Oh, I'm fine." The old Bosmer woman brushed graying hair back out of her. "Don't let the hair fool you, I'm not _that_ decrepit yet that a tumble will break me in half. I've taken far worse from goblins over the years!"

"Goblins?" Nevusa asked.

"Oh yes!" The older woman smiled. "I don't do so much anymore but I used to be the best goblin hunter in the Fighters Guild in my day! In fact I..." She trailed off as Nevano came over to see what was going on. "I don't believe it..."

Nevano's heart slammed into his throat. The absolute _last_ thing he had expected was for anyone to recognize him, especially not anyone from the Fighters Guild. "Parwen..." He said, her name surfacing from memories that felt like they came from a lifetime ago.

Ravenlight smiled, seeing their reactions. "Old friends, I take it?"

"Nevano! It _is_ you! You goblin-busting troublemaker!" Parwen grabbed Nevano in a iron-clad hug, ignoring his flailing. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again! You have new friends! Oh, look at that armor. I doubt a whole herd of goblins could even dent that! Is this one still trouble? He used to send the whole city into fits! He once dyed a whole herd of sheep different colors."

Nevusa lit up like a lantern, her eyes sparkling. This...was a treasure trove she did not expect.

"He gave me a shot of a brandy that had me stupid in under ten minutes," Gyrmallion offered. "Admittedly, it helped getting my shoulder stitched up, but...would that count as trouble?"

"Surprised he left any for you." Parwen mock-glared at Nevano, still stuck in a one-armed grip. "At eighteen he was out-drinking Orcs...when Oreyn wasn't busting his chops for it. We would send him on the most difficult contracts we could to try to wear him out and he'd come home and do something like set guard uniforms on fire the moment he walked back in the gates."

Nevano groaned. "Parwen...gods, please, stop."

"Hmm, explains a lot about the way Drelasa acts around you," Ravenlight said, eyes twinkling. "Don't worry; we've found a few people who can straighten him out. One is the sweetest firebrand you'll ever meet; the other, I think, can control him now by batting her eyelashes at him."

"Finally found a sweetheart? Good for you!" Parwen finally let him go, pushing him upright as he gasped for air. "Hopefully this means you won't be doing things like greasing all the practice weapons so that a hammer goes flying across the room."

"Parwen! Gods..." Nevano's ears were fire red, even in the dim light given off by nearby lights. "Need to see the count...Is it still Hassildor?"

"Oh, yes. Changed the name to something I can't remember. Too busy training new recruits these days to notice what he's up to." Parwen nodded. "Seems to think the elves in the city won't notice he's lived longer than a human. Must be half-elf."

"Well...we could probably take the time to speak to him," Ravenlight said. "Know if there's any way to contact him? We really only have a few hours."

"Oh, just go talk to the butler up at the castle." Parwen said. "See if you can convince him. About the only way to see that recluse."

"Uhh...which way...?" Nevano asked.

Parwen pointed down the road. "Take a left, follow the road around, cross the bridge above us and keep going. You'll see the bridge to the castle."

"Thank you." Ravenlight smiled at her. "Maybe later we could get together and speak for longer. I know someone here," she glanced over at Nevusa, "who would _certainly_ like to hear all the stories you have on her father."

Parwen perked up. "Father? You are...? This is wonderful!" She hugged Nevusa, without strangling her. "This one was so wild we all just assumed he'd run wild forever. Yes, come find me if you have time. I'm around. All I do is try to train new goblin hunters."

"Might have the chance to do more fairly soon," Ravenlight muttered, "depending on how this visit plays out." She grinned at Nevano. "Come on, troublesome; let's go see this count."

Nevano grimaced but, after getting the air squeezed from his lungs again, set off again. "It was _not_ a hammer that went flying. It was a wooden sword."

Nevusa fairly bounced along behind them, grinning broadly. She couldn't _wait_ to tell Veleth these new tidbits.

* * *

The directions were easy enough to follow, and they walked along, avoiding folks coming out of taverns-especially those stumbling out-until they finally came up to the castle itself.

Nevano had more or less gotten over his mortification from earlier, or at least enough so that his ears weren't as red. He managed to keep his voice steady as the steely butler approached. "We're here to see the count."

"Are you aware of the time?" He asked.

"Why don't you ask the count how those Telvanni 'health' potions are working." Nevano said. "I'm eager to know how it's working out since the last time I was sent to ask."

The butler eyed them. "Wait here."

Ravenlight arched an eyebrow at him. "Telvanni health potions?"

"Telvanni wizards have figured out how to keep on living forever. They are thousands of years old." Nevano said. "It's how I got to talk to Hassildor the first time because I figured it out. By pointing out he's keeping himself alive like a Telvanni wizard...well, it made him trust me just enough to talk to me, since I wasn't trying to blow his cover. Still tore strips of my hide off for my trouble though."

"Ah. Yes, he'd certainly remember that."

The butler came out after a few moments. "This way please."

He led them through several hallways, lined with thick carpets and lavish paintings, finally showing them into a room where the windows were fully blocked from any outside light. Behind a massive wood desk, covered in neat piles of parchment and scrolls, was a sour-faced old man with the very distinctive sunken features of a vampire.

"You again, I see." The count said. "Perhaps I should be asking how _you_ manage to stay the same. What do you want?"

Ravenlight stepped a little in front of the others and bowed slightly. "First and foremost, I suppose, to offer congratulations on resisting the call of the Mistress of Doomcrag. Second… well, largely concerns the same."

"Hmph!" The count sniffed. "Been 'resisting' the calls of those base animals for centuries."

"Well, from what I saw, 'base animal' describes her pretty well...unfortunately, it's also like calling a _dragon_ one." Ravenlight grimaced. "What do you know of the Armor of Wrath?"

"If you are asking me, no more than you do." He waved it off. "I run this city. Always have, always will. My job is to keep it as safe as I can, be it daedra, elves or vampires. And lately it's been vampires. I don't care why, I just make sure they regret it."

"Well, I may know _more_ than you, in that case. It's an artifact of Molag Bal's, a truly nasty piece of work that takes all the rage and hatred the first vampire felt for him and fused it into a cuirass. It...intensifies the power of the vampire that wears it. It's in the keeping of the Mistress...and while you've been able to resist her call, the same isn't true of virtually any other vampire in Tamriel, save one other." She gestured to Nevano, "He, I, and two other companions barely escaped the area before nearly a dozen _clans_ descended on it."

"So why come to me?" The old count asked. "Unless you are here to make sure I'm not slowly draining the citizens of Skingrad dry one by one? Think I'm trying to make Potema's Solitude here?"

Ravenlight snorted. "If I truly thought you were another Potema-or another Harkon, who I promise was _worse-_-I'd have come with the Dawnguard. No, this was largely to see if you knew what the situation was likely to become in the next few weeks."

"Every vampire, from the newest thrall to the oldest ancient, is aware." Hassildor griped. "They are also fully aware there are those opposing them."

"Were you aware that more than vampires are answering the call?" This was Gyrmallion. He stepped forward and bowed, then removed his helmet.

"Oh? Molag Bal? The one who proclaims to love vampires so much?"

"Not so reclusive here, are you?" Nevano asked.

"Reclusive, but not stupid." Hassildor said. "I do not have the protection of the Mages Guild. I better know what's going on outside. I won't die to stupidity-nor will I let the stupidity of others threaten my city."

"If the Wheel goes down," Ravenlight said, starting to lose patience, "it will, I promise, take the city with it."

"Again, I fail to see what you want from me." He said. "Unless you are seeking help, in which case the answer is no."

"Mostly to see if you were aware that something _far_ more destructive than the Oblivion Crisis is about to break out," said Gyrmallion. "And it _will_ be a second Oblivion Crisis. I suppose what we should say is: gird well the walls around your city and stay vigilant. Mortal conjurers under pay or coercion of the Aldmeri Dominion-and better, under two opposing factions of the Dominion-are unleashing unbound daedra on the world, a few at a time. Every other vampire on Mundus itself is gathering. And Molag Bal is preparing a bid for power which has the other Daedric Lords alarmed." He bowed again to the count. "Guard well your lighted city, oh count, for should the rest of Mundus fall, it may be the last place with light left." He put his hand on Ravenlight's shoulder to steady her-he could probably feel the Dov's irritation with this blind old fool growing-and turned to leave.

"Very pretty words from a Thalmor, though I will say you are more polite than the fools who have waltzed in here making one demand or another." Hassildor said. "You should listen to the other obnoxious elf you brought with you. I'm FULLY aware of what is going on. My job is here, away from the crowds of vampires going to High Rock. You want to know what is damn good against daedra? _Sheep_. Thousands of brainless shites blundering around, bumping into everything, no reason, lots of noise and no matter how many they kill, they just crowd in more. Even scamps get confused. Which is good because Molag Bal's shrine is directly north, between here and Chorrol. You missed the uproar there the other night, for the fools who erected it failed to notice Kynareth's shrine nearby. And Clavicus Vile's. Sanguine's shrine to the northwest has been very active as of late. And as to vampire attacks...I have an agreement with Meridia's shrine directly west of here just a few leagues. I behave myself, they have free reign to destroy whatever undead crawls around here. It is as locked down here as it will get. The other counts can believe me or not. That is their issue."

"I'm no longer a Thalmor," Gyrmallion said calmly. "I ceased to be one the day my commander staked me and my men out for the vampires in High Rock, for daring to suggest we defend the town we were occupying against them. And yes, we missed the uproar here last night; for last night, a coven of ancient vampires, and a demon child of Vivec and Molag Bal attacked the home of the Dragonborn, who saved our lives, and to whom we owe more than a debt." He turned and looked back at the Count. "I hope your shrines guard you against such creatures: they are cruel, and attack from behind."

"That they do." Hassildor waved them on. "Good luck out there. We do what we can but you can't spread heroes throughout all of Tamriel. Your job is to stop it at its source. The clean up is more manageable by the rest of us common folk then."

"Hopefully." Gyrmallion gently steered Ravenlight around. "He might be rested now, _Dovahjud_; and we still have a long ways to go."

Nevano waited until they had gone out the door. "Before I go...don't be the next Kvatch. It stunk for months and you know it. Oh! I don't suppose you ever discovered who got your chickens up the bell towers did you?"

He caught up to them as Hassildor roared after him from his chambers. "Whew, he woke up on the wrong side of the crypt."

Ravenlight was growling in _Dovahzul_ under her breath. They couldn't understand most of it, but the words _meyye joore_ seemed to figure most prominently.

"You tell him." Nevano said, eyeing a particular painting right before they left the hallway. "Hang on..." A slow, dangerous smile made its way onto Nevano's face.

"Please don't do anything that would make it dangerous for you to return with Serana," Gyrmallion said. Then a smile flicked across his face. "Something that might shake him up and annoy him, on the other hand...go ahead."

Nevano's boot knife made a swift appearance and he swiftly carved a few...colorful phrases in rather atrocious handwriting across the portrait of the count.

"_Zahkoraav wuth mey,_" Ravenlight grumbled, though her eyes lightened briefly at the sight of that. "Come on. Let's go fetch what we set out for."

"Starting with some food, I hope," Gyrmallion said mildly. "I haven't eaten that much today, and it's been a long one."

"Food sounds amazing!" Nevano said brightly.

"One of the taverns nearest the gate we came through, I think." She was calming down, but not by much. "Yes, let's...get something to eat before we head back. If we're a little late, he won't mind: gives him a little longer to rest before we take off again." She growled. "I half-want to have him fly _over_ the town and bellow a few times, just to scare the hell out of them."

"Aww, don't scare the sheep." Nevano said. "It's their defense!"

"True; they'd nearly run themselves to death if he showed up over the horizon, and with that bellowing, half of them would keel over dead in panic," Ravenlight growled. "_Sheep_. Hopefully his shrines do what's needed."

"Sheep drop dead for no reason. Brainless, remember?" Nevano laughed. "Meridia's shrine isn't far from here. Strong one too."

"That's reassuring, at least. Though if it's not kept up..." She shook her head. "Remind me sometime to tell you what Drizzt and I had to clear out of her _temple_, back in Skyrim. Ugh."

"Unless someone killed them all, the shrines are pretty active around here." Nevano said.

"Good." Gyrmallion was fingering his pendant again and frowning.

"Anything?" He asked

"No...and that's got me puzzled. I've felt a little activity from _inside_ the wards, but that's just the clan moving around: I had to change the spell to tell me when it was just them shortly after I got the wards set up, because otherwise they were going off too much. Nothing's come at the island from the _outside_. Which...if they're after the Heart of the Empire, something should have by now."

"Get to the dragon. Let's go! Grab food along the way." Nevano said. "Those are not signs I like."

Gyrmallion nodded and moved into a run. Ravenlight followed behind him.

Nevano slid away from them down a side street and popped back next to them after a minute or so, shoving an armful of something in his bag. "Got us covered, to the dragon!"

"I'll call him to us once we're out of the city," Ravenlight said, not yet short of breath. "If this is bad-and I think we're all feeling that it is-we can't run all the way back to him. "

"Get a mutton chop out of it." Nevano managed to crack.

* * *

They barreled through the gates far faster than they had left, again, much to the confusion of the guards. In some consideration to the near-defenselessness of the city, Ravenlight waited until they had crested the first hill before inhaling and Shouting. "_KRII FAAD NEH!_"

Less than five minutes later, wings cracked overhead, and the Elder Dragon circled and landed.

He glanced at them, mildly puzzled, as they all scrambled up to his back. "I do not know much about the cities of the _joore_," he rumbled, "but...it is not usual for those who enter to leave so swiftly unless they were chased."

"Yes, true, true..." Nevano settled in. "Could also be running _before_ someone notices the trouble I've caused. Or, in this case, mostly, we are the ones chasing."

"We need to get where we're going as quickly as possible," Ravenlight explained.

"Ah. Understood." He lowered himself slightly. "Cling tight!" Then, with a roar that echoed off the city walls behind them, he launched himself up into the air, caught the wind, and was quickly gone.

"Somehow I'm still hungry, despite feeling like I left my stomach on the ground..." Nevano muttered.

"Didn't drop that bag, did you?" Ravenlight glanced back at him. "We'll all need something. Wait a little bit for the feeling to pass before you try to eat, though."

"If I drop food like that, it's because I'm dead." Nevano said, holding it close.

"That's good, at least." Gyrmallion was leaning forward, having managed to mount almost directly behind the dragon's head. The wind whipped at them; but he seemed to be ignoring it. From a few snatches of words that drifted back to the others, he was praying, and quite fervently, that they would arrive on time.

"We will." Nevano said, with a confidence he himself didn't know he had. "We will."


	28. Island Assault

(**So...apologies for disappearing. Things...just went crazy. While I was happily writing, there was a point at which attempting to post anything just didn't feel like it was worth the effort. Hopefully, I will be able to catch the lot of you up to where we are, which is...um...let's just say writing has been _much_ faster than posting for the past few months. So. Hopefully, this makes up for any lack!)**

* * *

**Island Assault**

Below them, the hills and small forests turned to one thick blur, the treetops tossing both with the wind and against it, and even as swiftly as they were flying, the smells of the jungle below occasionally rose to them. Ravenlight went still and closed her eyes. Nevano and Nevusa watched it go by inquisitively. Nevusa was wide-eyed at all the new sights she was seeing, and Nevano had never gone south of Cyrodiil's borders.

Gyrmallion was the only one apparently uninterested in the sights below. He leaned over Kriifaadneh's head, peering anxiously at the horizon, and occasionally directing the dragon's course. As they drew near the ocean, he closed his eyes, before pointing out a tiny dot, dark against the moonlit water, and still some miles away. Nevano quit looking down as soon as he saw the water below.

Gyrmallion leaned almost across the dragon's head, straining his eyes toward the island. Ravenlight leaned out behind him, also looking. "I can see light from the island," she said. "Is that a good thing?"

His breath hissed in terror. "No! They never have lights or fires where others could see them-keeping hidden was nearly the only defense they had! Hurry!"

Nevano pulled Bonebiter loose. "If there's daedra or demons or whatever...it'll go back to Oblivion with holes."

* * *

Kriifaadneh increased his speed, and they covered the final few miles to the island in barely ten minutes. By that time, everyone had a weapon in hand.

Magical fires leaped up to illuminate what was going on below: nearly a score of daedra, fighting alongside Thalmor warriors, against a rag-tag group of Khajiit who were fighting back tooth and nail. Gyrmallion let out an incoherent snarl and thumped his fist against Kriifaadneh's neck. "Down!" he screamed. "Get lower!"

Nevano sighted an arrow, but didn't let it loose yet. As soon as they were within range, he'd send it into the middle of the group in front. He didn't need to really hit them, not yet. Bonebiter was powerful enough that it only needed to land an arrow in the middle to collapse the forward momentum. And...there. The arrow had to fight against the speed of the dragon, so much so that it fell almost lazily to the ground.

The hole it punched in the ground in the middle of the line of Thalmor and demons wasn't so lazy though.

Kriifaadneh plunged lower, roaring: and if the sudden explosion in the middle of the Thalmor hadn't caught everyone's attention, the sudden, unexpected sight of the massive Elder Dragon certainly did. He swooped, turned, hovered perhaps thirty feet over the fight to blast the attacking daedra with a burst of fire even _they_ couldn't ignore... and Gyrmallion gathered his feet under him, stood, turned, and before anyone could register what he was about to do, jumped off the dragon's head.

"I'm not sure whether that was brave or stupid, but at this point, there might not be a difference." Nevano muttered, sending a far stronger arrow _through_ a daedra and impaling the Thalmor next to it.

Gyrmallion had angled himself carefully: he only _fell_ about ten feet before he landed on the half-crumbled roof of the structure still standing beneath them, and proceeded to jump and slide in short bursts the rest of the way down. Once he landed, apparently unhurt, he drew the glass sword with a scream of rage and raced into the fray.

Ravenlight shook her head; then she pulled an arrow loose and aimed. "Nevano, you and I are best up here. Kriifaadneh, on the next fly-by, swoop a little lower and let Nevusa off."

"No need!" Nevusa turned herself into a bird and took off, disappearing quickly.

"She's getting good with that." Nevano shot off another arrow.

"She is." Ravenlight let fly. Breatheater's effect was not quite so impressive as Bonebiter's, or Taulmaril's, for that matter, but the sheer power of the bow punched through anything but solid plate effortlessly, and the Bosmer's near-unerring eye made even that nearly useless. Every time she loosed, a Thalmor or a daedra fell. "Nevano, you lived through the Oblivion Crisis: what are we looking at down there?"

"It certainly looks like a damn gate opened but _how?!_" Nevano frowned. "That isn't supposed to be possible anymore! Yeah there's conjurers down there but there's no way they pulled all these in here themselves. For that matter, how did they all get here? Nevusa and Gyrmallion will wreak havoc down there but you and I...should probably find where they are coming from and destroy it."

"I was thinking more in terms of what the daedra were, but you've got a point." She leaned forward. "Kriifaadneh, can you sense anything down there that feels like it shouldn't be there? A rift or tear in Mundus?"

The dragon's head swung to the south. "That way. Shall we investigate?"

"_Geh!_" Ravenlight tensed. "We need to get there quickly!"

"I can't really see what type exactly but _what is that?!_" Nevano's eyes went wide and he pointed into the crowd.

Ravenlight saw it, too. And she recognized it. "_Neimorcain duesthin!_ It's another one of Vivec's-_spawn!_"

"No...no that's..." Nevano recoiled despite being up on a dragon. "That is something else. Look at it. It's _directing_ them."

The daedra at first seemed like a dremora, tall, powerful, very humanoid in its appearance. If it wasn't for the horns sprouting from its face, it almost could have passed for an elf or strangely colored human. Almost. The energy surrounding it certainly set it apart from everything else. When it looked up at them, its pupil-less eyes unblinking, even Kriifaahneh twitched.

"I have no idea. " Ravenlight shuddered, then stiffened. When she spoke, her voice had some of the odd quality Nevano vaguely remembered from when they'd first met. "It's an abomination, whatever it is. Kriifaadneh, get me low enough to jump safely. I'm going to go down and help Gyrmallion and Nevusa. I don't know if even the consecrated blade will be enough against _that_ thing. Take Nevano towards whatever is spitting out the daedra; if he needs your help closing it, give it. If not, find out how the Thalmor came ashore and wreck whatever they used."

"Something Molag Bal created probably." Nevano muttered. "Gods that thing is foul."

Kriifaadneh rose, wheeled, then swooped down low, scattering Thalmor and Daedra alike as he did. Ravenlight crouched on his neck: when he reached the lowest point of the dive, she sprang down, replacing Breatheater on her back. Then she drew her sword.

Not her faithful glass Sunfang. This was the blade she'd made for battling Miraak, back on Solthsteim. It was made of ebony...and dragonbone.

"Be careful!" Nevano called after her.

For maybe three heartbeats, the enemies around her simply stared. It was long enough for her to draw breath, and Shout.

"_MUL QAH DIIV!_"

Nevano looked down at the dragon. "Let's hurry. The sooner we stop up those holes, the sooner we'll be safe. Don't need something worse coming through."

"_Geh._" Kriifaadneh wheeled and headed south.

* * *

As it turned out, there was only one hole: a conjuration circle. However, most conjuration circles were not ten feet across; nor did they open every few minutes to allow another ten or twelve daedra through. It was only open for perhaps half a minute each time: but each half-minute allowed another surge. A figure appeared to stand at the head of it: he seemed to be controlling the circle, until the lurid, sickly, green-blue light from the portal shone on naked flesh, and arms outstretched and bound to poles. Blood dripped from open cuts in his arms and legs. When enough pooled, it fueled the circle again, and let it open.

"Oh damn...Krii...fend? Sorry, it's a long name. Krii, I don't think that one is doing this willingly. If I shoot out those poles, can you knock him backwards without killing him?" Nevano pulled two arrows out.

"_Geh_." The dragon sounded vaguely annoyed; though whether it was because he'd been asked to move someone without harming them or Nevano's butchering of his name, the Dunmer wasn't sure.

"Sorry. Think of nicknames as a good thing, because they generally are." Nevano lined up two arrows. "And if he decides to cause problems...well, I certainly won't shed a tear if you eat him."

He let both arrows fly at once, a finger in between splitting them ever so slightly so that they struck both poles at once.

The arrows struck at the same time. The poles splintered. And Kriifaadneh...it really couldn't be called a _shout_. More like a very powerful grunt. "_FUS!_"

The hapless figure flew backward several yards.

"Good shot! Tossed him right into a bush." Nevano praised him. "Oh shite! That last one spit out a bunch of daedroth."

The alligator daedra snapped their teeth and circled around. They probably shouldn't have stuck around. Kriifaadneh was far larger, far heavier, and had _much_ bigger teeth. And he was in a fairly bad temper. He slammed into the middle of them, and started taking out his spleen on them.

Nevano was impressed. "Remind me...on the way home, I know of a herd of fat cows you might like to eat. Those should taste far better than this mess." He hopped down off the dragon.

"That would be...appreciated." His jaws slammed shut on one which had tried playing possum on him. It certainly wasn't _playing_ after that.

"You've been working your wings off. And now that impressive display? If I knew of something better I'd mention it." Nevano edged over to where the bleeding figure had been knocked back, careful in case it wasn't friendly.

He wasn't surprised to see that he was an Altmer; but there was a surprise to the fact that he seemed somewhat familiar. He was moving, but feebly; and his build indicated he wasn't a warrior, though there were calluses and scars on his forearms to suggest a trade that dealt in heat. He was conscious, though, and looked up, terror in his eyes, as he heard Nevano coming.

Nevano held up his hands. "I didn't knock you off just to kill you. That'd be a waste of two arrows. Let's make this quick, which side are you on?"

"Any but _theirs!_" He struggled to rise. "Warping the ward system was bad enough-but when I heard why they'd wanted a conjurer-gods, help me, _please_, they've got my daughter. She's here...they were going to give her to that-_thing_ they called up first. I thought if I cooperated, they'd-but they tied me to that pole, and I knew-gods, she's not yet fifteen!"

"Do you know where she is?"

"Back at the ship, I think. Locked her up." He shuddered. "I knew Rumalashorn was a murderous bastard, but this is...They said something about a victory celebration, after the battle. Dragged me away. She was screaming for me." He shook his head, dashing at his eyes.

"_That_ name is familiar...is he here?" Nevano glanced back at the dragon. This might be a bit bigger than he realized.

"No. They're here on his orders. He doesn't leave the palace."

"Too bad. I have a good end for him...though he'd probably taste like red wine and gristle." Nevano said. "Krii, we can't destroy that ship just yet. I'm going to sneak over there, see if I can't find this girl. Once I get out...how does turning a ship into flotsam sound?"

Dragon grins were..._highly_ unnerving, as it turned out: even if the dragon in question was on your side. Nevano strongly suspected that his dragon buddy would be thoroughly pleased to know he needed a moment to remind himself he wasn't about to get eaten. "I'll be quick as I can. And you..." He looked at the Altmer. "Stay here." He switched Bonebiter out for his swords and ducked off.

From the direction of the battle, there was a roar that sounded more like a dragon than it did a mortal creature, followed by a scream that could have put both the Ancient vampire _and_ Serana into fits. Nevano fought the urge to run over and help. He _had_ to trust that those three had it handled. They'd signal him otherwise. He gripped his swords tightly and ran on, hoping they were okay.

* * *

Ravenlight wheeled lightly, her long, heavy blade moving as easily as a sword of light moonstone. The shimmering power of Dragon Aspect was nowhere near faded, the spectral armor providing an extra layer of protection against the blades of the Thalmor and the claws of the daedra. The Thalmor were starting to fall back: they hadn't expected the Dragonborn here, at the other end of Tamriel, and from the expressions of a number of them, they'd certainly heard of her.

And Gyrmallion...well, he was starting to remind her quite a bit of Drizzt, especially in the fury he was displaying against them. The consecrated sword was proving _most_ effective against the daedra, and while he was bleeding again, his armor was more than holding up.

The commander demon had fallen back, screaming in pain and rage: both her breath weapon _and_ her blade had inflicted serious wounds. The remaining Thalmor were starting to glance one to the other, as if weighing their chances: the daedra surged forward.

As they hesitated, red runes suddenly flared on the ground. A heartbeat later, fire erupted under the feet. Nevusa charged through the fire, completely unbothered by the heat, and tore into them, using the hand axe to pull her target in close and her knife to slash them open.

To make things worse-at least, for the attackers-the Khajiit had rallied with such unexpectedly powerful allies. They weren't getting close again, but they had a number of slingers among their group, and stones rained with devastating accuracy among both daedra and Thalmor.

Ravenlight ignored the lesser daedra, aside from striking down those that got in her way. Her quarry was the commander, her eyes, glowing with the strange intensity of the Daughter of Akatosh, fixed solely on him.

The commander seemed unconcerned with those dying around him. Instead, he locked eyes with Ravenlight. And smiled. "You would be a better trophy," he hissed, before suddenly charging.

She was expecting it; he didn't take her off guard. But he'd rallied somehow, grown stronger, and she wasn't sure how that was. Her blade clashed with his, but he wasn't trying to kill her. He was trying to overpower and disarm her, and she had no doubt as to _why_. Determination to not end up as one of Bal's _trophies_ added fury to her strokes.

The daedra commander reveled in this sort of fight. The lives of the lesser daedra were nothing. They swarmed in Oblivion like rats. They would surface again soon enough. This was a challenge though. She wanted him dead...he wanted to test himself against her. They had the time to kill.

Ravenlight had no illusions about her swordsmanship. She fought dirty, she fought to win. Drizzt had trained her, and she'd improved-a lot-but while she was still alive... This sort of testing...indulging him in it would get her killed or worse. She ran through her line of tricks frantically, trying to guess which one he might fall for.

He laughed at her attempts. It was so _feeble_. He was merely having fun toying with her.

Then-she missed a stroke, the blade came at her-and a glass blade intercepted it, its green-blue surface _glowing_ beneath the thick coating of daedric blood. She stumbled back, and Gyrmallion stepped between her and the commander.

She hadn't seen his sparring match with Drizzt. But she now had great opportunity to see what kind of a swordsman the Chii Chare was, and she was, to put it mildly, impressed.

"_Srozz,_" The commander sneered. "Traitor. The Master will enjoy hanging your corpse in the Vile Lab!"

"They had their chance," Gyrmallion answered, his blade not only matching every stroke the commander gave, but flicking out in the little taunting snaps Drizzt had noticed but not risen to. "When they hung me and mine out for the Mistress. You cannot be a traitor to a cause that has already thrown you out!"

The commander sneered. "Your kind has already been promised to the Master. No matter what your pathetic _xiknix_ do to you, you were already coin paid."

Before Gyrmallion could respond to that, there was a high, ascending whistle from behind. Something-almost a force-seemed to grab him and throw him flat-at the same instance that a bow sang. Before the commander could register it, an arrow flew, faster than sight, and slammed into his right eye, followed half a second later by one that went into his heart. Ravenlight stood on a half-ruined pillar, the glow surrounding her.

"That, then," she said, her voice _thrumming_ with a power that was decidedly not earthly, "was why Akatosh sent his Daughter to their aid."

Perhaps the commander could have withstood the two dragonbone arrows. But before they could find out, Gyrmallion was back on his feet, his blade whistling through the air. The consecrated glass went through the daedra's neck almost without meeting resistance.

Gyrmallion stared down at the beheaded creature, shoulders heaving. Then he spat on its corpse. "You've made _my_ path clear, creature," he panted. "Enjoy knowing that."

Nevusa came over, splattered with blood. It was...quiet suddenly. The remaining stragglers had fled or were dying. The ones fleeing had no idea that there were things hiding in the trees waiting for them.

Then they all jumped and turned at the sound of a horrendous, splintering _crash_ and an eruption of fire from the coast. There was just enough clearance over the trees to see Kriifaadneh, hovering over a sudden new burst of fire.

"There went their ship," Ravenlight said, wiping Dragonsbite and sheathing it. She was suddenly exhausted. "Good."

"We just need to find the Heart then." Nevusa said, watching him.

Gyrmallion nodded. He wiped his blade and sheathed it; then, quite simply, pulled off his helmet and spoke three words in a strange language that seemed to combine purrs and yowls. There was a startled rustle from the hidden Khajiit. Then, slowly, an older male broke cover and came towards them.

"Gyrmallion? Is it really you?"

"Dro'ura." Gyrmallion smiled. "It is. It's good to see you again, old friend."

A scream interrupted the reunion, coming from the direction of the destroyed ship. Ravenlight whipped around, swearing. "There must have been some that escaped!" Shoving her exhaustion aside, she started to run toward the sound.

* * *

There was another high pitched scream, which seemed to drag in hysterics. They closer they got, the more they heard the fighting. As they got closer, they heard what sounded like a girl sobbing. Before they could break from the trees, they heard the distinctive sound of a sword through flesh. Then a head flew past them.

"Girl, screaming in my ear is not helping..."

A small group of Thalmor were trying to mob Nevano, who was guarding a shaking, hysterical Altmer girl. It was pretty clear she wasn't sure what she was more afraid of: the Thalmor, or the dragon sitting on the ruins of the ship, watching the proceedings with what appeared to be no interest in getting involved. Ravenlight pulled Breatheater loose, sending a few shafts singing through the air to skewer several Thalmor from behind.

Nevano breathed a sigh of relief. The girl had not let go of him, clinging in such a way that it was extremely difficult to fight. He could feel blood running down the side of his face from were he couldn't move out of the way of strike. Not and send both him and the girl tumbling. The pain hadn't hit yet due to irritation and adrenaline. He didn't dare reach up to feel how bad it was.

With the arriving newcomers, the last of the Thalmor were quickly destroyed. Ravenlight was surprised to see how oddly vindictive Gyrmallion was: not letting any of them escape, nor trying to convince them to leave behind their old ways. But the reason became clear when the girl looked up and saw him.

"U-Uncle?"

"See? I told you you were safe. You can let go of me now. Please." Nevano said, though without venom.

She did, slowly. As she did so, they all saw the bruises on her arms and legs, and one on her face: and the fact that she was clothed only in a short, thin shift which barely covered her. Her lips trembled as she stepped forward. Gyrmallion wiped his sword and sheathed it, stepping toward her. "It's me, Taaya."

She sniffed, then ran to him, clinging to him despite his armor, and trembling. He put his arms around her gently. "You're safe now, little one. You're safe."

Nevano nodded. "One moment..." He took off again into the woods.

"Poor girl," said Ravenlight. She reached into her bottomless pack, digging around. "Didn't bring much this time, I'm afraid...but...ah. I've got a blanket here." She pulled it out and draped it around her shoulders. "Your niece?"

Gyrmallion shook his head. "Not really. My cousin's daughter." He grimaced. "But he and I...we're nearly all that's left of our house."

Nevano was only gone a few moments before he came back, helping another Altmer along. "There she is." He said, pointing.

"Taaya!" He came forward, stumbling on legs still raw and bleeding. She looked up and saw him.

"Daddy!" She raced toward him, stumbling a little over the roots, and threw her arms around him, relief making her start crying again.

Gyrmallion gasped. "Divines-Kalaanir! What happened to you?"

He jerked up, staring. "Gyr-Gyrmallion? I can't..." His legs gave out, and he sat hard on a nearby fallen tree. "They told us you were dead."

Nevano went over to Ravenlight. "They used him...to hold a conjuring circle open. Tied him up, bled him. When enough blood dripped off, it would open a portal and a small handful would come through and it would close. Repeat. They took the poor girl as..." Nevano winced badly. "I...I wish Krii had used a bigger fireball."

"I think I can guess." Her hands clenched as she watched the three. "That...other daedra, the one we don't know...what it is. Said something about me being a better trophy. And then..." She closed her eyes. "Told Gyrmallion that his kind had already been promised to 'The Master'. No prizes for guessing who that would be."

"Yeah. Ruma..Rumal...whatever that one's name is." Nevano huffed at the complicated name. "I think he promised the Thalmor to Molag Bal."

"Rumalashorn. And I think he promised more than just the Thalmor." She watched them. "The way that thing said it...I almost think he promised the _Altmer_."

"I think he considers all the Altmer Thalmor. If you don't consider yourself one, you aren't Altmer in his mind." Nevano tilted his head. "Oh now there's a loophole..."

"Quit calling themselves Altmer?" Ravenlight tried to smile. "Could work." She whipped around suddenly as a branch snapped behind them. "Who's there?!"

Nevano swiped at the blood on his face, looking over, his swords flaring. The young man half-hidden in the trees froze, staring at them.

Ravenlight stared. He was dressed like the Khajiit she'd seen, both the ones fighting and the ones who'd fallen: but he was definitely human, and if she could make a guess, probably an Imperial. He swallowed hard and stepped back. She held up a hand to Nevano and stepped forward. "Who are you?"

"Imperial..." Nevano murmured.

"He is Rellino," a Khajiit female said, all but materializing out of the woods behind him, "and he was _not_ supposed to be out yet. We promised Gyrmallion that we would keep him and the others safe. Though he seems not to care."

He flushed and ducked his head. "It was quiet out. I thought it would be safe."

"You live with Khajiit." Nevano said flatly. "You should know that quiet is just as deadly."

"Yeah, but the enemies aren't Khajiit, and they were being loud," he muttered sullenly.

The Khajiit female swatted him on the head. "There is an all-clear signal for a _reason_," she scolded. "You are lucky the ones you came across are friends." She stepped into the open. "Gyrmallion, the night is late, and you and your friends are hurt. Come; bring them all inside. Whatever business you came for can wait until morning."

For some reason, Nevano did not seem happy with that. He shifted from one foot to the other irritably.

Ravenlight turned and gently poked him in the side of the head, in the place where most of the blood seemed to be coming from. He yelped.

"You're hurt," she said flatly. "And so is Gyrmallion. I managed to get away without any wounds, but I'm _exhausted_. If _I_ don't mind going down with the Khajiit for an evening to rest and recover from a fight a hell of a lot worse than we were expecting, you can handle it, too."

"It's not that. _He's_ restless." Nevano said. "All that was here was daedra and Thalmor. There was no hybrid."

Ravenlight groaned. "If there's another one...gods, after a fight like that..."

"Could be he's old and paranoid but he's normally not." Nevano's ear twitched. "Still...you're right. Can't fight one like we are."

"Not without some help." Ravenlight turned, putting her hand on the tree beside her and closing her eyes. "They didn't show up for the Thalmor, but maybe..." She concentrated for a moment, and the trees around her began to sway and whisper eerily. Nevano watched, his growing headache making it difficult to be too curious about what she was doing.

By the time she straightened and opened her eyes again, _all_ the trees were whispering and swaying; and everyone else had gathered close, staring into the woods with wide eyes.

"Cut no living wood tonight," she said, clearly enough to be heard. "Nor for a few days. I've called the spriggans awake. They'll keep watch for tonight and a few days after; if anything else attacks, they'll let us know, and they'll help us fight it." She glanced over at Gyrmallion. "I told them that only a few weapons might be able to harm what could be coming after us, but that they can be immobilized. If anything like those hybrid spawn try to attack us, they'll pin it and let us know to finish it off."

"Sounds useful." Nevano swayed a bit.

"Hopefully more than sounds useful." Ravenlight caught and steadied him. Before she could have to try to carry him, though, more Khajiit appeared. They were clearly nervous about the amount of noise coming from the woods; but at the same time, news that this was meant to help safeguard them was moving quickly through the clan, and they were willing to risk it to help the ones who'd come unexpectedly to help them.

"Friendly walking trees are good. Especially when they answer to you and not throw sticks at me." He dug the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Stop..." He murmured quietly.

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"Head just hurts." Nevano said. "Nerevar talking isn't helping."

One of the Khajiit reached out, hand wreathed in gold. She touched his head gently. "You were struck quite hard," she said. "Come. All of you. The open is not safe. Come along."


	29. Ko'Haryla

**Ko'Haryla**

Nevano followed along with Ravenlight; but seemed to have a harder and harder time keeping his steps even. More than once he muttered something in a different language under his breath. Another Khajiit came up beside him and took his arm to help him along. Behind them, others escorted Gyrmallion and his two kin.

Fortunately, the island was small, and it wasn't long before they came to the large, half-ruined buildings. Inside proved vastly less crumbled: they had undertaken secret repairs of the place, turning it into almost a small village inside. It was solid and snug, if much more cramped than it had no doubt been when it was built long ago.

Nevano could barely see it; but he was insanely grateful it felt like he didn't have to go much further. His head was pounding and Nerevar would not stop talking, no matter how many times he tried to quiet him. He couldn't even tell what the old general was saying but it was getting annoying. And feeling annoyed just made his head hurt even worse.

They passed through a few doors until they reached a central area around a large fire pit. There, mounds of cured sea grass formed places for beds around the walls, and a number of children and gray-furred elders huddled around the large fire. They all appeared a little alarmed when the strangers came in, but as more Khajiit escorted them, they relaxed, the kittens even coming up to look at them curiously.

The female who'd noticed how badly Nevano was weaving called three others over in their language. They took one look at his head and bustled about, wreathing him in healing spells, sponging the blood away, and bringing bandages and a poultice for it. Nor were the others ignored. They quickly found that Ravenlight and Nevusa were exhausted but uninjured, and brought them over to fairly private sleeping spots, helping Ravenlight out of her uncomfortable armor-with some difficulty-and bringing them large, stiff leaves with freshly-grilled fish on them.

Gyrmallion and his kin were equally fussed over-especially when a number of the older ones recognized him the second he came in, half carrying his cousin and the man's daughter. The walk through the island had not been particularly kind to their bare feet.

Nevano hadn't been allowed to sleep just yet, exhausted though he was. Head injury, someone had said. _Not yet_, Nerevar whispered in his other ear. He waited for everything to settle down, sitting against a support beam. He still didn't know what Nerevar wanted, but he was willing to bet it had to do with Gyrmallion. The girl and her father desperately needed attention. He could wait.

By luck, design, or both, the cot they settled Gyrmallion onto was right next to Nevano's. They helped him out of his armor, many of them exclaiming over its strange design, and brought him a simple pair of trousers to wear while they cleaned the blood off the gleaming metal and dragonscales. Across from them, Nevusa and Ravenlight flopped down, exhausted, and doing their best to eat before falling asleep. Gyrmallion sighed, his face drawn, and leaned back against a pillar himself. He glanced over at Nevano.

"Are you all right? Your head looked bad."

Nevano nodded, though he instantly regretted that. "She was too scared to let go. Can't say I blame her."

Gyrmallion sighed. "I haven't really had the chance to find out what happened to them...but they both looked..." He shook his head. "Where did you find them?"

Nevano sighed. "The girl was on the ship. She...they wanted her as..." He stopped. "Your cousin, you said? He was strung up over a conjuration circle. Bled slow. Allowed portals to open and close over and over. Let in a few daedra at a time."

Gyrmallion's fist clenched. "I-gods."

"I think your cousin can share a bit more on how this all happened." Nevano said. "He mentioned he went along to save his daughter. No matter how many times I hear that, the end rarely changes. Dragon and I got him down. I snuck on the ship. Didn't want to fight my way out and scare her worse but she was already at that point. Just...took the hit so I didn't fall with her on top. Just grabbed her and ran. Let Krii destroy a ship. Made him happy that way."

Gyrmallion sighed, closing his eyes. "They probably had the blade at her throat when he agreed to cooperate, and he knew he couldn't fight to protect her. Kalaanir's no warrior; never was. He's a glassmaker. No small skill in Conjuration, either, but...he only called up harmless, little things that would...like animating his sculptures." He swallowed. "He didn't mention anyone else on the ship?"

"I just remember a too long name pulling the string. Ram-whatever." Nevano said tiredly.

A flash of raw hatred blazed across Gyrmallion's face at that name. "One way or another, this will end with him _dead_," he said savagely. "That bastard has..." He couldn't finish, looking instead over to where the Khajiit tended to his kin.

"Not much we can do about him now." Nevano said. "We disrupted this. Not exactly a good day."

"For anyone," Gyrmallion agreed, looking around. "Though...it could have been worse. They never got in here. The children, the greyfurs; they're safe. As are..." His voice trailed off, and he looked, not toward his cousin, but at a different point of the room, where three people had just entered: dressed like the Khajiit around them, but certainly not Khajiit. One was the young man they'd caught earlier. The other two were women, one perhaps in her mid-fifties, the other about the same age as the man.

"They're okay. Good." Nevano said, squinting a bit as he had to look by the light of the fire.

Gyrmallion nodded, relaxing for the first time since they had started out.

Nevano leaned back again. "Nerevar is restless. I don't know why."

He glanced over at him, a slight frown on his face. "Is there...some way to find out?"

"He's been a bloody pest since I got hit in the head." Nevano said. "But won't come out and say it."

"Is there some way..." He hesitated, "I can talk to him?"

"Might not get anything coherent. It'll knock me out." Nevano said.

A half-smile tugged at the Altmer's lips. "You look like you could use the sleep," he joked weakly.

"I can assure you, as soon as I'm allowed, I'm sleeping this headache off." Nevano said, pressing the heel of his palm to his forehead. "Then...the Ethos Knife. Nerevar could be going on because of that. It actually reminds me of when I got the pieces to Trueflame." Nevano said. "He chattered nonstop then too."

"That could easily be it." Gyrmallion sighed. "I'm...almost not looking forward to asking them about it. They've kept it safe for...centuries, if not far longer."

"Especially since Nerevar wishes to speak with them directly." Nevano sighed. "He's gathering strength for it. He's a bit determined."

"That might make a difference," he said, his face lightening a little. "Supposedly, their tribe took it from the Red Mountain; I don't know how long after the Battle it was, but...I do believe they know _what_ it is."

"He's eager to meet them. The only race Nerevar wasn't fully fond of was Nords and even that is more mild annoyance." Nevano smiled a bit. "He's a bit like a puppy in that regard. Likes everyone. And you should hear him protesting in my head over that."

Gyrmallion laughed a little. "Drelasa told me he was the...exception for his time. A peacemaker, rather than a warmonger. And that what happened at the Red Mountain...hurt him more than they said, but still didn't give him more than a hatred for the Tribunal."

"That's accurate." Nevano nodded. "I think he hates the Tribunal less because they killed him and more how they led his people astray. Except Almalexia. He was married to her. Then she killed him and went to Vivec. That's...harsh."

"Yes." He grimaced. "I...yes, that would be...more than painful. Especially considering who _else_ Vivec shared his bed with."

"He lost his, well, actually, _my_ mind when I saw Almalexia for the first time." Nevano frowned. "Nearly got me killed."

"Considering the way I'm probably going to react when we finally confront the High Council, I can sympathize in advance." Gyrmallion's face darkened. "Rumalashorn _might_ be working alone. But...to promise our entire _race_ to Molag Bal?!"

"Ah, as to that..." Nevano twisted his jaw. "Is he the sort to consider only Thalmor as Altmer? That anyone who defies the Thalmor...do not get to be called Altmer?"

"Considering what he did to my family, possibly."

"Then you have a loophole."

He nodded slowly. "There...is that."

"If you aren't considered an Altmer..."

"Then we can't be said to be promised to him." Gyrmallion nodded. "That alone might make becoming Chii Chare more appealing."

"Exactly." Nevano smiled. "See? Your deviant Dunmer cousins know a thing or two."

"After what I've just seen my Altmer kin do, Dunmer don't look quite so deviant." He tried to smile; it didn't come out particularly well.

"That's only because you know my family." Nevano said. "We know how to not be so...Dunmer."

"So...what's the worst thing the Dunmer have done...in the past few centuries?"

"We blew a volcano up on ourselves." Nevano pointed out. "And pissed off a rather mean force of really big lizards in the south. Between the two, we've managed to hush ourselves pretty handily. How many volcanoes are on Summerset? Might be helpful."

"Well...no volcanoes," he admitted. "But your kin only angered the Argonians. _My_ kind has rather efficiently infuriated the entire world."

"We've managed to get Cyrodiil and the Thalmor hating us right back." Nevano grinned. "We _did_ eat their cavalry. Nords are weird neighbors at best. You win first place but we're a good second. Apple didn't go too far from the tree."

"True." He smiled again, a real one, this time.

"We are, after all, cursed high elves." Nevano snapped his fingers. "Maybe after all this, you'll get turned a different color. Seems to be the thing. Run away from home, get a new look."

"I'd...honestly like to reclaim Summeset, to be honest. It's...beautiful. If I could, I'd...like to show you."

"It's on my 'places I'd like to visit' list." Nevano admitted.

"Well...once we get rid of the High Council, and it's safe again...maybe you can." He smiled, looking up as the Imperial woman noticed him and started walking toward them.

"Serana will be thrilled." Nevano glanced up. "Is that her?"

"Yes." Gyrmallion stood and bowed as she came up. "Nevano, may I introduce Ahmetia Mede, daughter of Titus Mede II. Ahmetia, this is Nevano, the Champion of Morrowind, the Nerevarine."

Nevano tried to stand but before he could get fully to his feet, his head spun and sent him backwards. "I think...I have to give a...less formal greeting..."

"It's perfectly all right," she said kindly. "I haven't exactly been standing on ceremony for a while. And I can see you're injured." She smiled at Gyrmallion. "It's...good to see you again, odd as that may sound."

Nevano sagged back, not trusting his mouth to work correctly. For once he chose to just listen.

"It does...sound a little odd," he admitted, "considering the circumstances we met under. But...it went better than it could have, certainly."

She laughed. "There's truth to that." Then she sobered. "What brings you here? We never exactly agreed to find out how it would be safe to return. Is it...time?"

Gyrmallion sighed. "I don't know if it's truly _safe_ yet. But...well, we've just discovered that the island is no longer truly safe, so...we might as well bring you and your children home."

Nevano was glad she was calm about this and not a hysterical mess. Given the carnage outside, it wouldn't have been much of a stretch to get that way.

"How bad was it?" She looked grave. "I know...no, I _knew_ it could have ended as badly as...before. Or worse, really. But I just heard the noise; I couldn't tell what it was."

It was probably a good thing he was keeping his mouth shut to try and keep his belly in place. Several sarcastic remarks danced on his tongue. She didn't deserve those though. That was the headache talking.

"It was...bad. Worse than...worse than what happened when we first met." Gyrmallion sighed. "They...were calling up Daedra. My cousin...they were bleeding him to keep fueling a conjuration ring." He shook his head. "There was something out there, a Daedra I've never seen before, leading them."

"Xivkyn." The word Nevano had never heard before, let alone uttered, escaped past his lips before he realized it. Annoyed, he made sure to do whatever he could to make Nerevar feel the surge of nausea that came with being forced to speak. _The jerk._

"Xivkyn?" Gyrmallion glanced over at him, then frowned. "You're...getting extremely pale. Were you hit somewhere other than the head?"

Nevano simply held up his right hand, showing him Moon-and-Star, hoping he'd get it.

"I understand Nerevar's speaking, but...you're turning far more _white_ than gray. Does it normally affect you this much?" Gyrmallion knelt down beside him, reaching out to touch his forehead. Then his eyes widened. "You're starting to feel cold. Don't move, I'm going to fetch Ko'Haryla." He rose and moved away quickly.

Don't move, he had said. That was a good one. Not even another Titan could get him to move, at this point. He didn't like this feeling though. He tried to think of Serana instead. He wished she had come along too.

Ahmetia picked up a blanket and covered him with it. "Don't worry," she said, in a soothing tone that she'd probably used for her own children when they were sick or hurt. "There almost isn't an ailment Ko'Haryla can't cure. Rest; don't be afraid."

She'd get along with Drelasa. Ravenlight would like her too. There certainly were a lot of women skilled in healing on this adventure. Thank the gods, none of them were armed with trama root tea. His stomach lurched at the thought. _Change thoughts!_ He squeezed his eyes shut and tried hard to imagine Serana instead.

* * *

A moment later, he heard the faint thumping of a staff, slightly labored breathing, and a fair amount of jingling and rattling. He cracked his eyes open to see an ancient Khajiit female, gaunt and bent, her fur thinning with age, come toward him. She leaned on a staff of twisted driftwood; both it and she were decorated with thongs strung with bird and fish bones, shells, and unusually-shaped stones with holes bored through them.

"So," she said in a cracked voice. "Nevano-Nerevar reborn has come to us. It was spoken that someday he would return; this one never imagined it would be in her day. Or that he would be in such a state." She knelt slowly, her knees cracking loudly as she did. "Let an old shaman see what you've done to yourself, eh?" She stretched out her hand over him as it began to glow with an odd light: not quite the golden of a healing spell, but neither as blue as Detect Life. It was somehow between the two, without going green.

He shivered. For a brief moment he felt split in two. Half the more familiar feel of himself and the other...not him. He assumed that was Nerevar. He had never _felt_ him before. They were always...separate. Like a wall in his mind kept them from being too fully intertwined. This felt like the wall had been stripped away. And Nerevar was deeply worried.

"Didn't move. At all." His lips ignored his command to stay still.

"Good! Well. You've a cracked skull to start with; a belly too empty to try to repair it; and that fretting is _not_ helping matters along. Yes, this one knows how bad it is, old King; knew it even before the wards our friend set were warped to keep him from feeling the attack or stopping it, knew it before they strung up that poor soul to bring the hordes of the Dominator to the world. And don't worry. We're not that foolish count: we don't have much to give, but what we have, we'll give it. Now." She raised her hand to his head, pouring healing magic into it. "First, let's get your skull mended. Ahmetia, dear, he's going to need one of our brews; the one for a delicate tummy. Be a dear and fetch it, hmm?"

"Yes, Ko'Haryla." The Emperor's daughter hopped to her feet and headed off instantly.

Nevano wanted to smile. She felt so much like Drelasa...or Drelasa in another two hundred years. It was comforting. Very comforting. Enough so he felt some tension bleeding away. It was enough to give Nerevar some space to take over a bit. He couldn't bring himself to care much though. The pain in his head was easing.

"Ah," she continued, "and the old King seems to have something to say, then? Well. Let this one make sure your head is intact enough to do so first; and be ready to stop once Ahmetia returns." She cackled. "This brew is one best drunk hot."

"Never. Shuts. Up." Nevano took control enough to push the words out. Affectionate annoyance resonated through him.

"Much like hearing a god, no? Heh." She continued to stroke his forehead. "And who do you wish to speak to, old King? This old shaman, or the Transformed One who led you here?"

"Both." Nevano groaned. Too much, too strong.

Ko'Haryla turned and called. "Gyrmallion! He wants to talk with you." She glanced back at Nevano and eased her healing spell slightly. "Hmm. Perhaps we should wait until..." Footsteps sounded, and Ahmetia returned, a steaming cup of something in her hand. "Ah. Just in time, dear. You'll just want to sip at it, old King; it'll steady you in the middle."

Nevano balked at it. Despite Nerevar trying to reassure him, the thought of anything in his stomach was...unappealing. There was a brief fight for control, one that made him twitch a few times. Alarming to anyone just walking in.

"Come on," Ahmetia soothed, lifting his head. "I promise, this won't make you feel sicker. It's light. And it even tastes good. Come on, just a few sips at first."

Gyrmallion knelt beside him, glancing at Ko'Haryla with naked fear in his eyes. "Is he..."

"Fighting with himself." The shaman cracked a nearly toothless smile. "Not time for him to die yet, by any means. Certainly not with who's waiting for him back home. Don't be stubborn, silly boy. Drink up."

Nevano quickly found himself at a disadvantage. Nerevar had been gathering his energy over the past day while Nevano had been using it up. It ended when he felt like something heavy was holding him down. Several colorful curses came to mind but he didn't have enough control to let them loose. Fortunately. Nerevar followed the shaman's directions and, when his stomach finally settled where it belonged, sent a far too smug '_see?_'

"Stubborn." He said.

The shaman cackled again. "Who were you talking to, there? Feeling better?"

"_Nei, juohn._" Eyes flashed gold.

"Good." She let up. "Well then. Ko'Haryla is glad to truly meet you, old King. What's fretting you so much, then?"

"Short time, unfortunately." He said. "Not enough _arcaresh_. Cursed child. Not seen yet."

Gyrmallion went white; but the shaman held up a hand and closed her eyes. "Ah. That is...because it did not come here. They _struck_ here; the other one did not truly lie. But the next went back to the same place as before. Foolish thing. Ebonarm was ready for it that time. "

"He...will be strong." Nerevar said. "Put Boethiah on her heels. For now. Eighty three left. Too few can fight back."

"The Daughter of Akatosh was right in her assessment; as were you. The Knife shall go to you. Between the knife and the Aedra, more can be readied to fight."

Gyrmallion blinked. "I...hadn't even asked about the knife. How did you..."

"Silly boy." Ko'Haryla smiled at him fondly. "The shamans have always known Nerevar Indoril would return for the lost, cursed knife. To make its usage pure again. We also knew it would be a dark time that brought him. Ko'Haryla did not want it to be in her time, but..." She shrugged thin shoulders. "It is not for us to decide when prophecy is fulfilled. Nerevar is here; and the times are dark. The Knife shall return with you." She sighed, looking at Ahmetia. "As, this one fears, will the Heart of the Empire. It will be emptier here without you and yours, dear."

"Cursed...with blood of child and brother. Twice cursed blade. Don't want thrice on you." Nerevar said. "It will fight. Put wrongs to right. Then it will be returned, should you wish. And the living Heart...free to return as she pleases."

The shaman nodded. "It...will be good for it to come back here. We have guarded it for so long; without it...Ko'haryla does not know what we would do."

"I...am sorry." Nevano felt his body twitch at Nerevar's intense grief and regret. "A burden I created. Passed to you. A dark, dark day. It still is felt. So many years later." A single tear slid down his face.

She reached out and wiped away the tear. "Perhaps you created it; perhaps not. But not passed to us. We took it up, willingly, that sad day; to keep it from causing more grief, more pain. There are many dark days still felt; but you have the chance now to make many bright ones. Perhaps you cannot undo the day at the Red Tower; but you can now ensure there is not another one at Ada-Mantia."

"Both of us. Anything." Nerevar promised.

She patted his face; then turned to Gyrmallion and repeated the gesture. "And you too. Now, both of you: get some rest. Tomorrow, you must take the Knife and the Heart and return to the land of ice. After that...White-Gold awaits." She rose, grimacing as her knees popped and cracked again, and hobbled away, supported by Ahmetia.

Nerevar retreated, the weight lifting off Nevano. It was not fully pleasant. Exhaustion from the both of them crashed on him like a wave. He tried to say something to Gyrmallion, what he wasn't sure, but his eyes shut of their own accord.


	30. The Ethos Knife

**The Ethos Knife**

Voices woke him the following morning: the murmur of quiet conversation in several languages, broken abruptly by a feline shriek. Nevano jerked awake, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

As he did, he heard other voices scolding. "Nahila, shush. There are folk still asleep!"

A child's voice answered petulantly. "Kesraska stole Nahila's doll!"

"Yes, but a scream is not necessary when folk are tired! And Keraska, shame on you. Give it back, now."

Across from him, Ravenlight had come awake with the same urgency. She blinked around, slowly realizing where she was, and that the sound had been a squabble, not connected with a threat. She glanced over at him and chuckled ruefully.

He managed a small smile. He reached up and rubbed at his face. He was still sore, but the gods-damning pain was gone and he could see clearly. Huge improvement, though he needed another day or two before he felt fully over nearly cracking his skull open.

A moment later, Gyrmallion walked over, carrying a pair of large leaves with something steaming on them. "Breakfast," he said, offering one to each of them. He looked Nevano over carefully, then smiled. "You're looking vastly improved this morning."

Nevano pushed himself up fully. "You mean not arguing with Nerevar and looking like I was dying?"

"Arguing with Nerevar, I get the impression is...fairly common. Looking like you were dying...much less so." He sat down beside them. "I don't think I got to thank you for saving Kalaanir and Taayla last night. But it...it means a lot to me that you did. They're very nearly the only family I have left."

Nevano politely looked over at the leaf but his interest was not all that high. He felt Nerevar's disapproval. Ass. Fine, he'd eat. "Being used as a door stop for daedra warrants an automatic rescue attempt...though I might apologize for having Krii _gently_ blasting him backwards into a tree. Taayla...she okay?"

"See for yourself." He nodded over to where the girl sat with a group of Khajiit. The bruises of the night before had almost faded completely, and she was chattering with them easily. She glanced over at them, then excused herself from the group and came over.

"I...thank you for saving me," she said shyly. "And I'm...I'm sorry for panicking."

"In that position? Even the bravest warrior I know of would have lost it. And I know quite a few fearless ones." Nevano smiled. "Just glad you're here and not there."

She smiled, though her eyes were haunted at the memory. "So am I. I just...I hope Mother, and the others got away in time."

"I'm sure they did. When I was sneaking around, no one mentioned them," he said.

"That's...that's good." She relaxed a little.

Gyrmallion nodded. "Taayla, could you...tell me what happened?"

She hesitated for a moment, hugging herself. Then she nodded. "It started about three days ago. That's when we got news that you...that you had been..." She bit her lip. "Executed," she finally forced out. "Father knew when we heard that that we were...probably no longer safe. He got word to a friend of his up in Valenwood that we might need his help to get away from Summerset, and the Thalmor...set up a boat with supplies so that we could get away if they came for him. He didn't...didn't think they might come while I was with him. It happened faster than we thought."

She took a deep breath. "We were at his shop; finishing a last order. That's when Ru-Rumalashorn's soldiers came. They had your ring...said there was some kind of enchantment on it. They wanted Father to find out what it was. I was in the back. He started to...argue with them a little. Trying to distract them so I could get away. He didn't know...there were two out the back. They didn't see the dove; but they caught me."

Nevano frowned.

"What dove?" Gyrmallion asked.

"Oh-a little glass dove Father made, with a harmless spirit in it. It could fly; it was the signal he was using to warn Mother to get to safety. They didn't see it...I guess my trying to slip out the same time as it distracted them." She looked down. "They...almost acted like they'd be...reasonable, at first. It wasn't until they dragged me onto the ship after he'd boarded that I knew...I knew it was going to go bad, even if he did figure out what your enchantment was. And then, after he did what they wanted...that was when they drew that circle, and...called up that-that _creature_. And..." She shivered, starting to breathe harder.

Nevano held up a hand to stop her. "Easy there. It's okay. We understand now."

Gyrmallion put his arm around her. "I think I know what friend he was meeting in Valenwood; and your mother is a skilled Illusion mage. If the dove reached her, she and the others may have gotten away." He let her sit quietly for a moment. "Where's your father now?"

"Still sleeping. He's pretty weak; he lost a lot of blood. But the...the shaman? She says he'll be alright."

Nevano poked at the cut on his head, pleased to discover it didn't shockwaves of pain through him. "If she said yes...I'd believe her!"

"She's...something else." Gyrmallion smiled. "I've known her for years. All the Elders; I knew them before I joined with the Thalmor."

"No kidding." Nevano said. "She...it was like she knew Nerevar personally."

"The shamans...hear their gods." Gyrmallion shrugged. "Like we hear each other. Her predecessor was like that...but Ko'Haryla hears them more clearly, I think, than most of the others."

"THAT'S why it sounded familiar!" Nevano perked up. "She's like Kaid-Anit!"

"Kaid-Anit?" Gyrmallion looked at him curiously.

Ravenlight, who'd been eating ravenously without apparently paying attention, swallowed her mouthful and looked up. "A shaman of the Card'vel. He and his sister...they knew _far_ more than I would have expected. Apparently, they can hear the gods, though they only listen to a few."

"Azura, Boethiah and Mephala. He was born hearing them all though. He told me he misses hearing them...though some less than others." Nevano took a few bites, mostly to silence Nerevar. "Uliamu...I...I'm not sure _what_ her magic is. She knows things, can erect ghost fences, plays with bones...it's weird. So is she, though. Ko'Haryla reminds me more of Drelasa."

Gyrmallion laughed. "She...does, actually. I'd been wondering what was familiar about Drelasa; it didn't occur to me that I'd had Ko'Haryla fussing over me in much the same way before. Honestly, it's astounding how _many_ women we've both met who are so similar. Ko'Haryla, Drelasa, Elealda..."

"If you tell me Ko'Haryla can nail someone in the ass with a bolt of lightning at fifty paces then I'm swimming home." Nevano said flatly. "Because _some_ god is running a coup with that."

"She doesn't need to," Gyrmallion said wryly. "Didn't you see her staff?" He rubbed the back of his head. "You get mouthy with her _once_, you know never to do that again. And Elealda...doesn't know any destruction spells." He paused. "Yet."

"You better be afraid then." Nevano cringed. "They are sitting together, scaring the armor off everyone. And Drelasa is...deadly with destruction."

"Elealda uses her _tongue_ mainly," Gyrmallion mused. "As you've no doubt noticed. She...got plenty of practice with us-me, my brothers, my cousins."

"Deadly. All of them." Nevano muttered.

"And yet, we owe them our lives many times over." Gyrmallion smiled. "A strange contradiction, to be sure." He stood. "Once you've eaten, we should gather everyone and everything together and get back on the move. Nevusa's probably going to have to get more practice with that...spell of hers, if we're all going to fit on that dragon's back."

Nevano nodded and looked over. "Well, there's one thing she got from me...sleep through anything when she wants to."

Ravenlight finished the last few bites of the fish, rose, and stretched. "I'll get her up; then get my armor on again. Gyrmallion, I'll let you do the gathering; it's your word more than mine that counts down here, and I don't mind it being that way."

Nevano stood. He felt a little shaky but far better than how he came in.

"I will." Gyrmallion stood, Taayla standing with him. "And I need to retrieve _my_ armor, too. The men are all admiring it: trying to figure out what all you used. I don't think it's quite dawned on them that's actually dragon scales in it, though if they see the dragon, they'll probably guess." He turned. "We'll meet you in front of the old estate, though I don't think we should call him here."

Ravenlight knelt over Nevusa, gently shaking her. "Nevusa? It's morning. Time to get up."

"Few m'minutes..." Nevusa groaned.

"You've had all night." Ravenlight continued to prod. "And we're going to need your transformation spells again. There's at least three other people coming back today; at least half of us need to be something smaller."

Nevusa groaned again.

"Poor girl. That's full on from me." Nevano rubbed at his hair. "You're nicer than Veleth is. He flipped a whole pallet on me."

"Mmm...well, being a mother's given me other tricks." Ravenlight smirked as her hand shimmered an icy blue. "Last chance, Nevusa. Get up."

There was a small pop and Nevusa turned into a lump under the blankets.

"Not going to help, young lady." Ravenlight yanked the blankets away and applied her blue-glowing hand to the cat's ears. There was a startled shriek, and Nevusa bolted upright, back to a human in a second.

"She warned you!" Nevano laughed

"Owww, that's _cold_!" Nevusa whined.

"Little word of advice: when a mother with three children tells you to get up...it's wise to listen." Ravenlight was smirking mercilessly. Nevusa made a face, rubbing furiously at her ears. "And if you hadn't turned into a cat, that would have been applied to your backside, not your ears. Still a shock, but possibly not so sharp." Ravenlight stood, dusting herself off. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to retrieve my armor and get back into it. I suspect the Khajiit are admiring it almost as much as they are Gyrmallion's."

Nevano gave the rest of his breakfast to Nevusa and slowly got the rest of his gear together. Nerevar was quiet, having used so much energy last night...and hiding his emotions. He was happy to get the knife cleansed but not happy seeing it again.

* * *

It was about midmorning by the time they were all completely gathered: all four of those who'd initially set out, along with Ahmetia and her two children, Larifa and Rellino. Word had traveled quickly that the knife they had guarded for several ages was about to be returned to its owner: which meant that most of the clan had assembled to see their elders hand it over. Nevano tried not to shift so much. Nerevar was handling that part for them.

A group of greyfurs came out together, Ko'Haryla in front. She held an item wrapped in cloth in one hand, leaning heavily on the staff in her other hand. When they came up in front of Nevano, she bowed slightly.

"Long ago, this came into our keeping," she said formally, her voice somehow clear enough to reach everyone's ears. "The Ethos Knife: twice cursed, with blood of child and brother. Now to be purified in defense of both, returned to the hand of the one from whom it fell so long ago." She held out the item. "Nevano, Nerevar, we return this blade to you."

Nevano's eyes flashed gold and there was the slightest twitch as Nerevar came forward. He placed both hands on it but didn't take it yet, Moon-and-Star flashed brilliantly on top for everyone to see.

"Wrongs will be made right and atonement made," came the slightly deeper voice using Nevano's mouth. "When its job is complete, it shall return to you, its guardians. Azura bless you for your vigil over it."

Ko'Haryla's bow deepened as she relinquished the blade.

Nerevar also bowed to her and then, his energy rapidly depleting especially after last night, retreated abruptly, almost staggering Nevano.

She straightened, looked at him, and chuckled, patting the side of his face. "Silly boy. Rest on the way back, hmm?" She glanced at Ravenlight and cackled. "You won't get much rest after you return, that's for sure!"

The older male, Dro'Ura, bowed to Gyrmallion. "Your kin will be safe with us until they are well enough to travel," he said. "Do not fear for them-or for us. Forewarned is forearmed- and they shall not catch us by surprise again."

Nevano looked at Ko'Haryla. "Thank you. For everything. I swear I'll bring this back. And follow your instructions on getting rest. Hopefully we can get this done quickly so you don't have to worry for long." He caught Ravenlight and Nevusa grinning broadly, almost mischievously, out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea what they were so giddy over. He glanced at them and Nevusa changed her expression to wide-eyed innocence. He raised an eyebrow. Great. What animal was she plotting to turn him into?

Ravenlight, after a swift, sly glance at him, bowed to the elders. "My thanks to you for your hospitality," she said. "I will not call the dragon to this place; he is not as sure an ally as my _grah-zeymahziin_, and I will not risk further harm to you from his indifference. We will go back to where we left him before we leave." She gestured around them. "The woods will remain awake for several days, and watch over you in that time. But cut no living wood, nor take from it more than what you need: spriggans can be chancy allies, and I do not wish what I called awake to protect you to turn against you before they once again sleep."

Nevusa, suddenly very eager and bouncy, bowed low to them.

Ko'Haryla bowed back. "We will follow your instructions closely, Dragon Queen. And while we cannot offer more aid than this for High Rock-we are a small clan, and it is far away-High Rock is not the only thing that needs retaking, hmm? And there is _much_ aid we can offer there. Come here again, before you are ready to strike."

"We will." Ravenlight straightened, beckoned to her group, and led the way through the trees, back to the beach where Kriifaadneh waited.

* * *

Nevusa fairly bounced along, chattering happily as she looked around with wide, sparkling eyes, thoroughly enjoying seeing the island in the sunlight. Ravenlight was quieter, gazing around at the trees and plants with a wistful expression. The ones who noticed, and knew where she was from, wondered how similar the jungle on the island was to Valenwood, and how nostalgic it was making her.

Kriifaadneh was almost exactly where they'd left him, not far from the broken timbers of the wrecked ship. Though...there was a difference to the beach this time: the bodies of the Thalmor had all disappeared. The Elder Dragon was not noticeably fatter...but it wasn't difficult to guess what had happened. He cracked an irritable eye as they came up, and uncoiled with a sigh that rustled leaves ten feet away.

"Quit fussing," Ravenlight said. "You've had plenty to eat and more rest than most of us have. And we're not just going to pile on top of you; Nevusa's going to turn most of us into smaller creatures, so we won't be that heavy." She looked back at the others. "Who all will be transformed? I don't mind going again."

"I will." Nevano said. "I need some more sleep. Get rid of this headache once and for all. If I'm cross-eyed when we get back, Serana and Drelasa might bury me."

"Almost right," Gyrmallion muttered, trying to stifle a grin as he glanced at Ravenlight. "I'd better not. Maybe another time. Ahmetia, Larifa, Rellino?"

"I don't want to be turned into anything," the boy said bluntly. "It's been _years_ since I've seen anything but this island: I want to see _everything_ out there." He glanced over at his mother and sister. "What about you?"

"I can take being transformed," Ahmetia said, glancing with some misgivings at the dragon. "Larifa?"

"I...I want to see, too." She was not quite as self-assured as her mother, nor as brash as her brother; but there seemed to be a spark in her, nevertheless. "Especially Cyrodiil: you've told us about it so often."

"Okay!" Nevusa said brightly. "You can still see if you are a cat...or any small animal of your choice. I'd stick with bird, cat or rabbit. Or a-"

"No. Damn. Rats." Nevano glared.

"...or a frog." Nevusa amended.

"Too cold up there for frogs," Ravenlight pointed out. "I'd...like to see myself. Could you do a hawk? They've got better sight than ravens, that threw me off last time."

"I'll do a cat," Ahmetia decided. "Probably more comfortable."

"I can do a hawk." She nodded. "Okay, three kitties and a hawk. Don't get the urge to eat me."

"Not hungry." Ravenlight shrugged. "Shouldn't be a problem."

Nevano went up to the dragon and murmured something to him. "Keeping my word to you." He said before he popped into a cat.

"Mmm..." He appeared to contemplate it. "It...is helpful to know that. I will stop there when I grow tired."

Nevano leaped up on his back, wobbling a little on landing. Gyrmallion climbed up next, close behind the head. Behind them, there were three more pops, and then two more cats, and a black-winged hawk, jumped and flew up. The hawk settled on the dragon's head, between the horns: the cats waited until Larifa and Rellino had gotten situated to find their own spots. Once everyone was secure, Kriifaadneh rose, crouched a little, then launched up.

* * *

The ride back was mercifully uneventful. Nevano slept through the entire first portion of the trip somehow. Up until Krii stopped for a rest. He managed to stop himself from digging his claws in though.

As promised, a herd of cows grazed across a small stream, though they snorted and jumped when the dragon landed. Nevano jumped off, landing in a roll as he changed back mid fall.

"Whole herd. As promised." He said.

"Excellent."

He was...efficient. And every one of his passengers was moving quite some yards away before he'd finished taking down the fourth one.

"Before you ask...no brand, no bell." Nevano said. "No owner. They've run wild here. Were a pain then. Probably a pain now. Figured he'd like beef over a wormy deer."

"Sounds like you were right." Gyrmallion was a little bit green; he'd gotten a good view of what had happened to the first cow before he'd jumped down, and was having flashbacks of the feathered dragon swallowing the vampire in front of him while he'd been chained up. "Let's...move a little further away."

"Oh, hey," Ravenlight said, having followed the stream a little ways down, "There's a small lake down this way; the stream empties into it."

"Just glad ogres don't keep cows like giants do."

"Didn't know giants kept cows." Ravenlight looked back at Nevusa, grinning slyly. "They don't in Skyrim. I'll scout around, see if the lake is safe."

"I heard of painted cows." Nevano shrugged.

"Farmers paint and offer some of their cows to the giants as a sort of...tribute," Ravenlight answered, lifting a hand that glowed blue. "It usually works, unless the giant in question tends to be nasty. Those are the ones that get bounties on them. And...looks like there's no predators in the area, or in the lake."

"Oh good." Nevano looked around.

Nevusa went down to the shore. "Nevano? What kind of fish is this?"

Nevano raised an eyebrow. "If it's got teeth it's a slaughter fish. The rest are fish."

She gave him a look that was so very 'annoyed/crestfallen child' that he caved and went down to the shore to look.

Behind him, Ravenlight started to work with the straps of her armor. "I think I'm going to take a dip. It's warm enough; and it's been _days_ since I've had a decent bath, and I kind of need one. Anyone else up for a swim? Besides you, I mean, Nevano."

"Thanks but I'm not about to get my arse bit by a toothy fish." Nevano said. "I'll pass."

"There aren't any slaughterfish; I specifically checked." She started walking toward them, having skinned out of the armor, and now in the light garb the Khajiit had given them. He might have noticed the long inhale, before she said, "And, at Drelasa's request..._Fus!_" She hadn't _shouted_, not really. But the word still caught him and flung him fifteen feet out and into the water.

He had just enough time for his eyes to go wide before he found himself flying through the air. He got part of a yelp out before crashing into _way too fecking cold_ water. Nevano twisted underwater, grabbing his boots and yanking them off before they acted as an anchor. He held them upside down by the toe and kicked hard for the surface.

"Oh GODS!" He sputtered, spitting water and sucking in a lungful. "What in Oblivion was that for?! IT'S COLD!"

On the shore, Ravenlight dove into the water, swimming easily down, and then back up. She broke the surface, laughing. "Not quite as cold as the big lake in Skyrim. Splash around a little bit before you get to shore: Drelasa specifically asked me to drop you in a lake before you came back."

"What the feck?!" Nevano lifted one boot out of the water, letting it drain and threw it back to shore, swiftly followed by the other.

The Bosmer ducked back under and flashed through the water, twisting like an otter, before surfacing again close to him. "Ask her! I'll only admit to kind of enjoying that." She vanished again.

Nevano ground his teeth in annoyance...until Nevusa, who has slipped in not long after Ravenlight, sent a wave of water over him.

"Come on!" She urged. "Can't get in trouble doing this!" She kicked her feet and disappeared.

Gyrmallion did not join in, though he sat on a large rock beside the lake. Ahmetia joined him; her children, while they didn't plunge in as deep as Ravenlight and Nevusa, splashed in the shallows.

"Not going to swim?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not if it's as cold as he's complaining about. After four days hanging out in the elements in High Rock, cold does not exactly sound appealing."

Nevano got back to shore just enough to take his armor off. Then Nevusa hauled him back in before he could get away. He allowed the two to roll him around in the water for only a few more minutes before he had enough of feeling like a water toy and slogged back to shore. He was going to have a word with Drelasa about this...

* * *

They finally let him go, though they didn't get out for nearly fifteen minutes more, splashing and swishing around like a pair of mermaids. When they finally did come out, they were both laughing, shivering, and their lips were starting to take on a bluish tinge.

"Think it's going to have to be a cat this time around," Ravenlight laughed to Nevusa, hugging herself to warm up a little."I'll need the fur!"

"What are those little things that run around in the snow...the little dog looking ones?" Nevusa asked. "Need to turn into one of those fuzzy things."

"A fox?" Ravenlight shrugged. "One of the little white ones; they have the thickest fur. I don't know about their balance, though."

"A fox! Yes. Couldn't remember what it was called." Nevusa shrugged. "They move pretty quick. Usually the fast ones do have a decent sense of balance. But I'm not so familiar with it to try it just yet unfortunately."

"Cats do remarkably well." Ravenlight rubbed her arms, trying to warm them up a little, before going over to her armor. "Some folks up in WInterhold keep cats: they look like the wild ones in High Rock. Lynxes. Slightly bigger than most, and much fluffier."

"We don't have the fluffy ones in Necrom." Nevusa pulled on her clothes. "We got the slinky ones. The kind you find on ships."

"Slightly heavier build than the slinky ones," Ravenlight described, as she struggled back into her armor. "Flatter faces, too. And thick fur. Think more like Ashvana than the Khajiit back on that island. They're typically white or gray, with darker faces and paws."

"Hmm..." Nevusa tapped her chin. "So far, everyone has been reflecting colors that reflect their personalities or its their own coloring...I wonder if I can get specific breeds."

Ravenlight paused. "If everyone's been reflecting their own personality..." She laughed again. "Have you ever seen a Valenwood jungle cat?"

"No, I haven't." Nevusa's eyes sparkled. "This is the first time I've ever gone south."

"They're large, for cats; adults can get to be a hundred pounds or so. Well-muscled, but lithe at the same time: and gray, with large, dark dapples." Her smile widened. "I had a pet jungle cat for years, after my brother Wolfgold gave her to me as a cub. Her name was Speckle."

Nevusa's eyes went wide. "Oh that sounds gorgeous!"

"And if the spell tailors itself to each person..."

"You'd be speckled."

"At least!" She finally tugged into the armor. "I don't know if he'll be quite finished eating yet...we might keep an eye out for any easily-caught game while we head back that way. It won't be as good as I can normally make it, over a quick fire, but it _will_ be food, and I'm starting to get hungry again."

"Do we have a weapon that isn't...overkill?" Nevusa asked.

"I don't," Ravenlight admitted.

"I have a sling," Rellino offered, coming up to them. "And I'm a good shot. What are we looking for?"

"Rabbits, game birds," Ravenlight shrugged. "Anything small."

"Just keep watch. Minotaur and goblin territory here." Nevano said.

"I'm watching." Instincts honed by Skyrim were not fading just because they were in a different part of Tamriel, and Ravenlight was alert to anything that might suggest something like a minotaur or a nest of goblins. She'd managed to retrieve as many as her arrows as possible before they'd set out again that morning, and Breatheater was close at hand.

Rellino hesitated, and it occurred to her that he might _not_ be used to looking out for dangers. On an island as small as Glimmosven, chances were that the dominant predators were likely the Khajiit.

Nevano eyed him. "C'mon. I'll go with you."

"Okay." He glanced at him curiously, but did not appear resentful of this.

Nevano smiled. "I lived in Cyrodiil for a good while. Might have been a long time ago, but I still remember it."

"Okay then." Rellino looked around, pulling his sling off his waist. "Um...let's go around to the other side of the lake. There were other streams feeding into it; they taught me to always look to streams and springs for game."

"And with the dragon-nothing's going to be close to this one."

Nevano grinned. "Maybe we'll get lucky and something thinks it'll get by now that he's eating that herd of cattle."

They vanished together into the woods. Ahmetia laughed ruefully as she watched them go. "That boy is probably never going to settle into city life."

"Can't say I blame him." Nevusa said.

"Larifa remembers being a princess better than he recalls being a prince." She glanced over at Gyrmallion with a smile. "Not that any of us resent the time we spent among the Khajiit; but he's probably going to move away from the city as soon as he's got an idea of what the lay of the land really is."

"Again...can't blame him!" Nevusa said.

Ahmetia glanced at her. "I'm going to assume you're much like him, then. Preferring the danger of the wilds and the outdoors to being cooped up inside?"

"Born to Necrom nobility. I was stuffed in dresses, taught which fork to was for fish and which was for meat and told I was supposed to sit there and be bored. So. _Boring_." Nevusa rolled her eyes. "So I cut my hair short, stole a sword and joined the Redoran Militia. This is...the first time I've really been outside Morrowind and, daedra and destruction aside...this is fun! I want to see more! How can some people never even leave the city they were born in?"

"Some people prefer quiet. I...was glad to start helping under Ko'Haryla for almost that reason," Ahmetia admitted. "And Larifa..." They exchanged a smile. "Perhaps I didn't know if we'd ever come back...but I taught _her_ how appearing quiet and keeping your ears open can glean all sorts of interesting news. Even in a small clan that's true."

"I'm...looking forward to seeing what it's going to be like at the Imperial City again," the girl confessed. "I'm not really much for danger. But...I would like to see more of the world."

"I just...saw it at a distance. I've heard of the White Gold Tower but it was gorgeous." Nevusa said. "Being told about it did it no justice. Even as far as we were, it still seemed to glow."

"We'll be going there once the Jarls and the army from Skyrim is on the move toward High Rock," Ravenlight said. "Not just to return you three, but to ask the Emperor for the Legion's help in taking out what's currently _in_ High Rock. Which is...unpleasant, to say the least."

At once, Nevusa perked up.

"And yes, you'll be coming." Ravenlight laughed.

"Really?!" Nevusa's eyes glittered like the sun coming over the horizon.

"Probably going to bring everyone," Ravenlight said with a shrug. "Certainly know I don't want any of us without a group, until the last of those blasted hybrids has gone down. Maybe not even then."

"I didn't think I'd ever get to go. Especially after...last year." Nevusa said.

"Last year was when Morrowwind cut ties with the Empire, wasn't it?" Ravenlight considered. "Yeah; I can see how that would make traveling to the central city of the Empire a little...mmm...tricky."

"'Cut ties' is the polite way to put it." Nevusa said. "Especially if you plan on taking anyone with the surname Veleth."

Ravenlight sighed. "Great. I might have a long talk with Drelasa, in that case, about the safest way to divide our forces, so as _not_ to cause an incident when I arrive. Or a bigger one than I plan to, anyway: what with arriving on dragonback and bringing his lost family."

"Maybe if you can convince him to not wear the Ebony Mail?" Nevusa said. "Because that was distinctive and you've seen how he fights. It was like that the _entire_ battle. That was after he scared the feathers off them all with what he did in Kragenmoore. Actually it's mostly just him. And Nevano."

"Well, after we get back, I'll have someone to keep Nevano in line," Ravenlight said with a smirk. "And he will be on his _best_ behavior, so as not to deny Serana her chance to see the Imperial City, I'll bet. Veleth...might be a problem. Again, I'll talk to Drelasa and see what she suggests."

"I don't think he has as much a problem with Cyrodiil as others..." Nevusa said. "He was after that Mute."

"Yyyyess, I remember the Armiger said something about that, back in that High Rock town where we met Gyrmallion the first time." Ravenlight considered. "Something about they're still trying to get the bloodstains out. I should have put two and two together when Nevano told me about what happened to Jorun."

"He burned half his temper out killing the one that betrayed him." Nevusa shifted. "It was...the Thalmor sealed their fate when they..." She took a deep breath. "Been a year and I still can't believe they did that...the Thalmor tried to take over the burning of the body, which is like the funeral. Tried to force the priests of Mephala, Boethiah and Azura out and put a priest of the Divines in."

Gyrmallion shook his head and muttered something that sounded extremely uncomplimentary.

"It did not go over well. It was so..._bold_." She said. "There were a lot of people there! I'm not entirely certain _what_ happened, despite being there but the end result was the Temple is uh...still being rebuilt. It burnt down, which probably isn't a bad thing since no one was getting those blood stains out and Drelasa walked in, got the ashes and walked out like she was a goddess herself."

"If they'd tried to do anything even a _little_ like that when we were giving the dead to the woods after we found that purged village..." Ravenlight's eyes grew hard. "We didn't hold with eating enemies in Cothy'rim. We would have made an exception that day."

"They have been pushing at the core of cultures. It's caused no end of trouble. I don't understand _why_ they do that. Surely they know it will only cause those people to fight back?" Nevusa asked. "However...I know I'm making him sound bad but he _does_ respect you. He's not showing it but I can see it. If you ask it of him, he'll probably do it. Not sure why he's being so closed off. Normally he's the easiest thing in the room to read."

"Who, Nevano or Veleth?" She glanced at her.

"Both, actually, but I was talking about Veleth." She said.

"Veleth's been having trouble with Boethiah, and it's chafing him," Ravenlight said. "That little fight he had with Zak, the one that got out of control? It was actually pretty clear neither of them had meant for it to go as far as it did. From the look in their eyes, they'd been a few seconds away from actively trying to kill each other, and they _certainly_ hadn't meant for that to happen when they started to cross blades. And it's been bothering him a _lot_."

"He doesn't like being forced into something he doesn't want to do." Nevusa said. "Shocking tidbit, I know. He hasn't been settled for some time though. It's like he's been trying to convince himself into something and now it's erupting all around him. Can't get him to talk about it, though."

"_That_ sounds familiar." Ravenlight sighed and shook her head. "Believe it or not, Drizzt didn't open up easily either when I first met him. Practically took a crowbar to get him to tell me about some of the things that were...hurting him the most. And Zak's the same way, though he takes extra precautions by turning into a _thornbush_ when you try to ask him." She looked up at a triumphant call to see Nevano and Rellino returning, Rellino triumphantly displaying a pair of grouse. "That was quick. All right, let's find a safe place to cook those before we head back to Kriifaadneh. He could...probably use the rest, actually."

"We got time. Dawn, remember?" Nevusa grinned widely.

"Good." Ravenlight shook her head. "You've never seen a dragon when it's gorged itself half-stupid. I have. It's the best time to _fight_ them."

"I...have a horrible image in my head of it being much like a fighting a netch that just ate..." Nevusa made a face and shuddered. "Ew..."

"They're slower, it's harder for them to fly, and they don't usually think straight," Ravenlight said. "I faced a few netches in Solstheim, but...never had to deal with one that gorged itself first."

"Let's put it this way...one of Veleth's favorite punishments to dole out when he was on Solstheim was to clean the Bulwark of what happens when a dumb netch that just ate bumped into the wall and felt threatened." Nevusa said. "It was...almost solely the twins' job, from what he said."

"Ah." She grimaced. "Well. Dragons don't do that, thank goodness...but if he's eaten even _half_ of those cattle, we'll need to move a little closer to him while we're eating those grouse. Goblins won't come close to him, even passed out sleeping off his meal; but minotaurs are stupid enough to try it. And while none of them would have the clout to kill him, they could injure him."

"Ah. That." She nodded.

"I could _probably_ heal him...but I'd rather not."

Some people got irritable when they thought they owed a debt to someone who'd healed them. A dragon...would be worse. Without question.

* * *

The others displayed some reluctance to get close to the dragon's feasting ground, and after Ravenlight went back to scout the area in question, she couldn't blame them. The bodies of the Thalmor had disappeared almost completely, save for a few pieces of armor, scattered weapons, and here and there a bloodstain.

The cattle...had not vanished so cleanly. There were legs, the odd head, a few splintered, hollowed-out ribcages...and, as he'd gotten full, a few simply left half-eaten. The once quiet meadow was now a scene of slaughter.

"I see this suggestion went over pretty well." Nevano muttered. "You know, I remember when this herd first showed up. No one had a clue where they came from but they were meaner than a minotaur and half as intelligent. Plus their horns kept getting longer. Was contracted a few times to get rid of them but we were never successful."

"If any of them escaped, they probably won't be an issue now." Ravenlight grimaced. "Especially when that starts to attract scavengers." There was a deep rumbling from the direction of the dragon that had everyone else scooting back several yards. She sighed. "Aaand he's out for more than a few hours. We probably won't be able to continue on again until it's nearly dark. Let's find a decent campsite to rest until he wakes up."

Nevano picked up a horn and tipped it at the snoring dragon. "Thank you for the arrowheads."

A few moments of scouting upstream found a decent spot for a camp in a small clearing. They were close enough to keep an eye on the slumbering dragon, and it was a defensible spot, should trouble come calling. Even better, there were plenty of rocks by the stream bed to allow them to build a ring for a campfire, and more than enough deadwood for their purpose. Ahmetia proved surprisingly adept at cooking over an open flame, and took over roasting the two grouse, while Ravenlight and Nevano alternated to keep watch.

Nevano chose his watch spot up in a tree, carefully carving out arrowheads from the cow horn. His ears were intently focused around him but it was obvious he knew the area around him well enough to instantly pick up on the sound that wasn't right. They occasionally heard a few bits of a song they had never heard before.

Ravenlight looked as though she had really wanted to climb a tree herself; but her armor was too heavy for the purpose. So she stayed down below, chatting a little with Nevusa and Gyrmallion, and with the three Imperials whenever they showed interest in what she was talking about. She was keeping an ear out herself; but one of the things she was listening most intently to was actually Nevano.

"_Men need a man would die as soon, out of the light of a mage's moon. But it's not by bone, but yet by blade, can break the magic that the devil made. And it's not by fire, but was forged in flame. Can drown the sorrows of a huntsman's pain_." He sang quietly.

She had no idea what the song was, or what it was talking about...but she was intrigued.

"_Oh father dear, lie and be safe, from the path that the devil made_." He stopped when he realized he had a small audience.

"That was good," Ravenlight said. "Sounded like something the Muse might have sung."

"The Muse?" he asked.

"I really don't know a lot about her. But Drizzt and I...we encountered her once, on our way to Labyrinthian. She appeared to just be a wandering bard; sang for us. Her song later helped wake me from a coma induced by severe, repeated magicka drain, and very likely saved Drizzt's life." She leaned back against the tree she was under. "She sang 'The Dragonborn Comes'; but it was a version I'd never heard before or since."

"Viarmo at the Bard's College later told me that she's a...lesser goddess of sorts, neither really Daedra nor Aedra; and her purpose is to inspire whoever she comes across."

"Do you remember the lyrics?" He asked, truly curious.

"She combined it with...I don't know its name. I know the words, certainly the part she sang: but I'd never heard them sung so...gently before. And she..." Ravenlight shook her head. "Her voice blended and harmonized with itself, like a choir was singing along. But it was just her. I could sing it, but it wouldn't be nearly as...impressive as what she did."

"There are some songs like that." Nevano smiled. "There's one we all like but it doesn't have that...power by itself. Needs a few people. I forgot it's true name. We just call it Dusty's Lullaby because it's the only song he'll fall sleep to every time. Remind me when we get back and I'll convince Veleth to sing it."

"The Khajiit sang on the island," Rellino commented, "But they only sang in their language, and we...really couldn't learn it. And not for lack of trying. It was pretty, though."

"Oh _vith_...you just brought up a memory..." Nevano swallowed hard. "I know what you mean. There's no way to repeat their singing unless it was your native tongue."

"Have you heard them sing?" Gyrmallion looked up at him. "I know I have. When I was in my teens, I would find excuses to head off and 'camp' on the island when I knew one of their festival nights was coming up, so I could listen to their songs."

"Yes...many times now that dam has broke." Nevano said.

Ravenlight went still. "When...did you hear them?"

"Sometimes it was sad. Sometimes it was...happy. Defiantly happy. Their voices would go up and down. I tried to sing with them once." Nevano said. "Heh, I had no way to keep up but I still tried. It was one of those songs you'd get swept up in and you almost _had_ to sing with them. I was really small then...she had pulled me close to her and let me make a slight fool of myself. I think I nearly cried when they stopped."

"That would be when...you were a child?" Ravenlight was not going to say the words, 'when you were a slave,' though she suspected it was the case.

Nevano nodded. "We had no clue what the other was saying but...I liked it when they sang."

She nodded. "It's...a good thing." Her eyes grew distant. "Listening to the songs in the places I went during my wanderlust; it kept...the worst of the effects away. Can't really say it kept me sane, I was so close to the edge; but while I could listen to the bards, and people singing along...it helped."

"Helps break through the fog, that's for sure." Nevano said.

They fell silent after that; though Nevano, after a self-conscious moment, went back to quietly singing his strange song. This lasted until Ahmetia looked up from the spit.

"It's ready. Come eat."

After the long nap on the flight over, Nevano's appetite had finally returned and he found himself hungry after only eating a few bites for breakfast. The grouse was good; not perfect, but as good as something cooked over an open fire without the benefit of cooking tools could be. And if anyone was thinking of other foods-perfectly-grilled and seasoned fish, tender roast venison, or mud-crab stew, perhaps-they kept it to themselves.

Afterwards, though, they found themselves getting restless. Several of them wanted to continue on immediately, but after being told by a wide-eyed Ravenlight to, "For the gods' sake, _let sleeping dragons lie_," they had to find other ways to amuse themselves.

Nevano looked northeast. They weren't too far from Chorrol. The area was agonizingly familiar. "When I was fifteen, I started training to join the Fighters Guild in Chorrol, just that way a bit. I was told I needed to learn to survive outside city walls, since most contracts were in the wilderness." A smile stretched across his face. "So I was taken to the middle of the Great Forest and left there."

"Good heavens." Ravenlight looked almost stunned. "That's...not how I would have done it, and that's putting it mildly. Though since you're here, I suppose it worked. What are you suggesting?"

He grinned wider. "I wasn't alone. Someone was usually watching out of sight but I had to learn how to handle myself. Not suggesting anything. It just wasn't far from here. The longer I sit here, the more memories I had forgotten come rushing back."

"Good memories?" Ravenlight looked around and stood. "You want to show us around this area? As long as we don't go too far, and keep an eye out for trouble, we should be all right."

"I think...yes." Nevano nodded. "Want to see the ruins of an old Oblivion gate?"

Rellino bolted up in excitement, and even his mother and sister looked intrigued. Ravenlight and Gyrmallion stood, as well.

"Sounds interesting," Ravenlight said. "Didn't know they did keep standing after...be interesting to see it all."

"They popped up everywhere. Without any real reason. Just annoying. Directly south. By some old fort ruins." Nevano hopped out of the tree. "We'll probably still hear the snoring."

Ravenlight glanced up at the way the trees were shuddering in the exhales and laughed. "At this point, we'll be able to hear him a good half-mile off. He's almost breaking the Green Pact, way he's going. Lead on, Nevano."


	31. The Great Oak of Chorrol

**The Great Oak of Chorrol**

Nevano led them directly south, where the trees thinned a little and the ground rolled with hills. At the top of said hill, the ground was black, even over two hundred years later. Burned and blackened stone in sharp angles littered the ground around two pillar structures. The stones all had daedric lettering on them.

"I can't remember if this one was closed by someone or if it collapsed when it was all over." Nevano said. "We aren't _too_ far from one of the big gates that opened in front of Chorrol. Nikki, of course, got to close that one."

"Nikki?" Ravenlight knelt and swept her hand across the ground, whistling. "This may be one of those places where nothing ever grows again. Wow."

"The Champion of Cyrodiil." Nevano picked up a rock that looked like a curved claw. Or at least he hoped it was a rock. "You should see the ground where the big one outside Bruma opened up. Makes this look like nothing."

"We might stop and look while we're traveling through Cyrodiil," Ravenlight mused. "I mean...at least Bruma's still a city. They haven't even tried to rebuild Helgen."

"We aren't far from Chorrol." Nevano pointed to where a glow of light could be seen down the hills in the forest. "Over there."

"You want to go back?" Ravenlight glanced over at him, remembering what Drelasa had told her of Chorrol. "If you want..." She shrugged, hoping to keep the mood light. "I mean, as long as it's not going to be another Skingrad."

He gave her an amused side eye. Someone had been talking with Drelasa. Or Veleth. No...'Lasa. "No weird ancient count. Far as I know anyway."

"I _hope_ not. If Gyrmallion hadn't started talking,..." She shook her head. "I was a few more sentences away from Shouting the roof off that place. Delphine and Esbern can't get me that annoyed, even when they're grumbling about Paarthurnax!"

"Why do you think I stepped in?" Gyrmallion laughed.

"Stopped a perfectly good time there." Nevano smirked. "That place needs a few more sun holes! Less carpets, more sunlight. Makes for _far_ better hospitality."

Ravenlight started to comment on how forcing him to cloak the castle in mist would not do anything for the local reputation, but stopped herself. As far as she knew, the Medes didn't know that Hassildor was a vampire...and frustrating as he was, she wasn't going to change that.

Nevano gave her a quick wink. "I already did the colorful sheep. Next time I'm around, I'll figure out a way to set a whole flock of chickens loose in there. Think you can make a potion that could turn feathers to bubbles? _That_ will make everyone jump!"

"No, because if I do, the boys will be dosing _my_ chickens with it, and they already have to put up with too much." She laughed. "A flock of chickens is chaos enough."

"Hmm, maybe an animal you don't have?" Nevano tilted his head. "I'd say pigs but that'd be...ooooh, I can do piglets!"

Nevusa's shoulders were shaking as she tried to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter. _This_ was a side she hadn't seen in a while. Not since he tormented Garil with the fork.

"Can't keep pigs in Skyrim, that's true," Ravenlight mused. "What would you do to piglets to make them more troublesome than they are?"

"Oh that's easy." Nevano grinned widely, heading off towards Chorrol. "Just dump oil all over them."

That got them _all_ laughing for most of the way to the city, almost drowning out the dragon's snores.

* * *

True to what Nevano had said before, some things never changed. Chorrol was ever the quiet city in the woods as it always was, the people friendly, the guards bored, the bells in the Chapel of Stendarr still not louder than the slightly rowdy young recruits that trained behind the Fighters Guild. Only glaring difference was the absence of the Mages Guild. And...

"Aww, the tree died." Nevano said as they passed the stables, several horses snorting in alarm at the scent of dragon on them. "Used to be a big tree by the wall. I would climb it instead of going through the gate. Don't ask..."

"How many times were the guards watching out for you?" Ravenlight said wryly.

"I don't think they ever stopped." Nevano grinned wickedly. "Ever since their uniforms went from blue and white to blue and bright pink..."

"That would do it," Ravenlight and Gyrmallion said in the same instant.

"If you keep following this road, you'll end up at a place called Weynon Priory." Nevano said. "Was the most boring place ever...or so I thought. The brothers there didn't even get upset when I shaved their sheep to look like...never mind. I guess sheep were low on the concern list when one isn't truly a priesty person but a bunch of Blades in hiding. Gone now. Place truly is a priory these days." Nevano said. "Nikki brought Martin here but she told me a bunch of daedra got here first and half burned the place. Stole the Amulet of Kings she had left in safekeeping with the Grandmaster of the Blades. Because of course. Perfect place to hide, I guess."

Gyrmallion nodded slowly. "I...had the Priory investigated during the early days of my...campaign against the Blades. There were signs that they'd been there...but by then, they were long gone."

"Cover had been blown." Nevano nodded. "Would have been stupid to continue to use it."

"True." He nodded.

"Or brilliant, if you hadn't checked." Nevano said. "Guess it depends on your opponent."

"I don't know what I'd have done if I _had_ found them, then," he admitted. "That was...before Glasryn was destroyed. At the time, I was honestly having fun trying to track them down, and I had a great deal of respect for them."

"Rare one you are, but you know that." Nevano said.

The Chii Chare nodded, accepting the point.

Only Ravenlight noticed the slight hesitation in Nevano's steps as they went through the gates, the slight tension in his shoulders. He was nervous about being back here, though so far no one seemed to recognize them. The people were very friendly, though their smiles stuttered and died on their faces when they saw Gyrmallion. Rather than cause a fuss, most either hurried on by or crossed the road when they saw him. No one wanted to cause confrontation. Not yet.

Gyrmallion saw it. His steps slowed, and he looked down. "Chorrol...I didn't think," he muttered. "I probably should have stayed back with the dragon."

"Remember what I said that night Nerevar wanted to talk to you?" Nevano asked.

Gyrmallion glanced at him wryly. "Which part? When Nerevar told me there were other paths, and the world would watch to see where we went from here? Or...what you said after he'd gone back?"

"What I said." Nevano said. "Though he had a bit of a point. Don't tell him I said that. No need to make him smug. Infuriating when he gets that way."

Ravenlight put her hand on his arm. "Chii Chare," she said. "Remember that." She tipped her head toward Ahmetia and her two children, who were staring around in wide-eyed eagerness. "And while I don't know if the Imperials would react the same way Dunmer would to the news that you put yourself in harm's way to save children...you _did_ race across the continent to protect _them_, after saving them the first time."

"I had told you that the world would need to see. Seeing is believing, after all." Nevano said. "Unfortunately, you will have to make a big scene. One that will make them all talk. I had said that you needed to do something amazing. You are in luck though. I think I know of something you can do real quick and easy that will go a long way. I'm willing to bet it'll take less than an hour before the whole city knows."

He inhaled, then nodded. "All right. Can't be worse than fighting that..._thing_, back on the island."

"No fighting involved." Nevano beckoned with a tilt of his head. "This way."

* * *

He led them down a few more streets before coming to the very heart of Chorrol. The cobblestone road formed a massive circle, houses and shops all along the outside. In the very center, an enormous oak tree stood, its boughs broad enough to shade nearly the entire circular city square at noon. A large scar ran up its trunk, marring the ancient dark bark. In front of the mark, someone had placed a stone plaque. Nevano took them to it.

"This...is the Great Oak." Nevano said. "Notice how the guards have it on their uniforms? It's the oldest tree in the Great Forest. The Thalmor tried to burn it down when they razed the city, but weren't successful. The Great Oak was the first thing the people here tried to save, after the people. The mages here threw every bit of healing magic they knew at it, though they tended to lean more towards conjuration. I didn't stay long enough to see if it worked but the tree looks alive to me."

Ravenlight stepped forward automatically, the Bosmer love of trees rising in her. There was...something of the Great Oak that reminded her of the two nearly-immortal trees in Skyrim: the Gildergreen and its parent, the Eldergleam. Trees touched by Kynareth herself.

"It's beautiful," she said, a hush in her voice.

"From what I heard, it was full grown as far back as the second era." Nevano said. "It's survived a lot. It was a rallying point when the big Oblivion gate opened outside the gates." He reached out and touched it. "And served as a wonderful target for a furious Fighters Guild champion throwing the foolish out." Nevano gestured at the plaque. "That...I haven't seen before."

Ahmetia stepped forward to read the words engraved on it. "_May the marks on our Great Oak forever remind us of those who fought and died during the Thalmor occupation in 4E 175. Our scars prove we are stronger than the hatred that tried to tear us apart._"

Gyrmallion placed his hand on the scar, bowing his head. A moment later, Ravenlight saw his shoulders tremble, and realized he was silently weeping. For what...she couldn't be sure. His people, dragged down a path of hate, and now betrayed by their leader in the cruelest way possible? His own family, cut down to ensure the destruction of a group he'd respected? Or the people of Chorrol, who had died in a senseless attack?

She didn't know.

But really...it didn't matter which. People were watching, almost protectively, and were a bit...baffled at the Thalmor that was weeping at the sight of the tree that his people had damaged.

There was a small, familiar gleam of light next to them. Nevano's voice had taken on a note that demanded to be listened to, echoing so everyone in the square heard him. "You know just as much as we do what violence and hatred leads to. You, too, have felt the pain of the Thalmor. The Thalmor have named you traitor but they are not your people. May you and the Chii Chare prove to the world who the true Altmer people are."

"I will." He lifted his head, tears still streaming from his eyes, but his face now hard and determined. "Wherever this path leads, I will follow. Whatever reparation must be made, I will make it. And whatever must be done to protect my people and the world from the _monsters_ in the palaces of Summerset...I will do it, no matter the cost to me." A stray sunbeam fell then, illuminating him as he spoke the final words. "I swear it."

Ravenlight glanced up wryly. _You really_ are _overly fond of the grand, dramatic gestures, aren't you?_

There was no answer; but she really hadn't expected one.

Nevano smiled, spinning Moon-and-Star around on his finger. By now a crowd had gathered. Most were standing wide-eyed, stunned and struck dumb by the incredible scene they had just witnessed. A few slipped from the crowd and ran off. As he'd said, it would be less than an hour before the entire city was buzzing about the Altmer who was not Thalmor being blessed by the Great Oak and the gods.

Ravenlight smiled and put her hand on his arm. "And we'll help," she said simply. "We'll help."

Nevano listened to the murmurs begin. If he could learn to accept them...the rest of the world could as well. Ravenlight had been trying to tell him he could let it go and he hadn't believed her. Somehow, she had been right. And it felt damn good too. As if she'd heard him, she glanced up and smiled at him. Her eyes flickered for a moment: one remained amber, while the other turned garnet. But both of them were warm, and very pleased. Nevano nearly groaned. Great. Now there were two _more_ of them! Add that to Jorun, Drelasa and Nerevar.

Gyrmallion took his hand off the oak and glanced between them, blinking away the last of the tears and answering their smiles with a tremulous one of his own.

"Not easy...but still easier than fighting a xivkyn." Nevano said.

"Vastly easier," he admitted. "Especially for those around me. Not so...perilous, should I fail." He glanced wryly at Ravenlight, who couldn't help the shudder.

Nevano gave him a rueful smile. "Perilous, no. But plenty painful. There's plenty here who remember. Vividly too. You have done a lot. They know your name now. Nor will they forget it." He spun his ring on his finger.

"No," agreed Ravenlight, sharing a glance with Ahmetia. "They won't. They certainly won't."

"Are we finished here?" Rellino was as impatient as a toddler, looking around eagerly. It occurred to her that, having been whisked safely away from the mainland as a small child, he would not understand the significance of what had just happened. "There's so much more I want to see! And I don't know when the dragon will wake up, so..." His voice trailed off under the stern glare his mother shot him. He did not understand the significance...but Ahmetia certainly did.

"Here." Nevano dug in his bag and tossed a small coin purse to him. "Take Nevusa and go see what's open. Just stay in the city and, for gods' sake, use a fake name."

"Ummm...okay." He caught the purse, but glanced at Nevano in bafflement.

Ravenlight sighed. "Nevusa, you're good with nicknames. Give him one, for pity's sake, before he gives the city a far bigger story to spread than a repentant ex-Thalmor."

"I'm on it!" Nevusa said brightly. "Cmon...Felix. We passed a street that had a cart selling the most _amazing_ smelling muffin things."

* * *

They trotted off. Ravenlight watched them go, then put her hand under Gyrmallion's elbow. "Speaking from experience, you are probably pretty drained after that. Nevano, could you show us a quiet place to rest for a little while? One not too far from here, so they can find us again if need be?"

"Oak and Crosier. Right at the corner there." He pointed to where the square opened to other streets. "They should have forgotten me by now."

"Somehow I'm not too confident," Gyrmallion muttered. But he went along with them to the indicated inn. If they did remember Nevano...well, it would take attention off him for at least a little while.

"I stuck every cup, tankard, jug, plate and piece of silverware I could find to the ceiling." Nevano said. "If there's still some up there, I can't say I'm not going to laugh."

Ravenlight gave him a long stare. "I am _not_ looking forward to you and Sparrowwing meeting," was all she said as they walked into the building.

"It was a _long_ time ago...oh, there's...a plate up there..." Nevano bit his lip, struggling mightily to keep in his laughter.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to the Oak and Crosier!" said the woman behind the counter. "I am Falma, your hostess. Our food and beds are at your disposal. And...ah, pardon that."

"With any luck, we won't need beds," Ravenlight said; "but food would be most appreciated." With a nonchalance that suggested _long_ practice, she reached out and swatted Nevano on the back of the head."Behave."

Falma blinked for a moment while Nevano dropped a few curses in his native tongue before ushering them to a table, setting out a bowl of fruit and bread.

"Bread!" Ahmetia's eyes lit up. "Oh-that was something I missed _so_ much. The fruit on the island was delicious, but there wasn't any place to grow wheat."

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" Falma asked.

"Wine, I think; and for all of us," Ravenlight answered. "And...what do you have on the fire?"

"Roast mutton and beef stew." Falma said, getting a bottle from behind the counter. "Where are the glasses...oh drat." She looked up to see cups stuck to the ceiling.

Nevano gave Ravenlight a wide-eyed look. "I didn't do that."

The garnet in her eyes this time was _not_ comforting. "You'd _better_ not have."

"Years ago, someone stuck everything in the inn to the ceiling." Falma got a chair and pulled them down. "A young mage thought it was so funny he cast a spell where things will float up to the ceiling every now and then. Not to worry though. Nothing harmful."

Nevano coughed but the others heard the laugh he was disguising with it.

"What was that mage's name?" Ravenlight asked."Or do you remember?"

"I was never told the name." Falma said, bringing the wine over. "It happened a long time ago. I was told this when I took the place over."

"Ah." Ravenlight shrugged. "Well. Beef stew sounds _marvelous_, I'll take a bowl of that."

"Roast mutton for me." Gyrmallion looked like he was trying to keep his expression straight, and not from amusement. "After...earlier, I don't think I'm going to want beef for a while."

"Oh, that's right, you got a pretty good view of..." Ravenlight nodded. "Don't blame you."

"Sorry but I'm going after the beef stew too. We don't have beef in Morrowind. I'm enjoying it now while I can." Nevano said.

"Roast mutton sounds good to me, too," Larifa said, glancing sympathetically at Gyrmallion. "And you, Mama?"

Ahmetia nodded in agreement.

"Coming right up!" Falma went about getting their food.

"When do you think he'll have woken up?" Gyrmallion asked, glancing at Ravenlight.

"Hopefully by the time we get back," she answered. "They do process even big meals pretty quick; they know being stuffed that full makes them vulnerable."

"Which puts us back around...dawn?" Nevano asked.

"Hopefully. That was when Drelasa wanted us to be back." Ravenlight sighed. "Whatever Nevusa chooses to turn me into this time, I'm going to try to sleep a little more this time around. Not easy, but...I'm going to try."

"Need to try to find a way to get her to run off with Farkas." Nevano said. "And shut the others up in Necrom."

Gyrmallion met Ravenlight's glance, and both tried hard not to laugh.

"What?" He asked.

"Shutting them up in Necrom won't be hard," Ravenlight managed to say. "They just have to _see_ him."

"Oh, the young lady has a sweetheart?" Ahmetia looked intrigued. "Tell me."

"His name's Farkas," Ravenlight explained. "I don't know if you're familiar with the Companions in Skyrim; they're a little like the Fighter's Guild. He's one of the Circle, which are the best warriors and senior members."

"He's also taller than _I_ am, and twice as broad," Gyrmallion said wryly. "Small giant. And incredibly powerful."

"She prefers him _far_ over whatever is waiting for her in Necrom." Nevano said. "I'm throwing my say in there. I'll help her run off."

"Necrom..." Ahmetia mused, tapping her fingers, "And Nevusa...her last name wouldn't be Hlervu, would it?"

"It is." There was a note of distaste in Nevano's voice.

She smiled. "Then she needs to do more than simply run off, or they might try to claim there was something...not binding about the elopement. You're planning to take her to the Imperial City, am I right?"

She briefly stopped talking as Farla returned with their meals, smiling and thanking the woman, and accepting the food; waiting for her to leave before she continued.

"To put it lightly, my father will be _more_ than overjoyed to have us back, and willing to go along with very nearly anything we suggest. So. Don't have her run off with this fellow. Bring him along, too, and give her a grand wedding in the Cathedral. I know _I'll_ be happy to attend...and if _I'm_ there, well...he'll be there, too."

Nevano nearly choked on his wine, swallowing hard to keep it from going out his nose.

Ravenlight laughed. "Oh, that would be _perfect!_"

Nevano coughed. "You're aren't joking, are you?" he sputtered.

"We'll mix as many Morrowwind customs as possible into the ceremony as well," Ahmetia continued. "And while the priests might have a small fit if we had a priest of the Daedric princes actually perform a rite _in_ the Cathedral, we can have an additional blessing out in the square in front of it. And I'm quite serious. The best way to shut up a group of stuffy blowhards is to dazzle them with as much pomp as possible."

Ravenlight almost couldn't eat, she was laughing so hard. "Oh, you and Drelasa are going to get along _so_ well."

"Oh gods...it's perfect." Nevano's eyes were wide.

Ahmetia smiled beatifically, lifting her wine glass.

Larifa was giggling almost uncontrollably. "I want to help!" she managed to finally say.

"Just need to get her mother there. That's it." Nevano said slowly.

"How long will that take?" Ravenlight asked.

"I don't..." Nevano frowned.

"Could the Armigers get her out?" Gyrmallion asked, before taking a bite of the mutton. "Or perhaps I should say, bring her quickly?"

"If we could contact them...maybe." Nevano said. "Not sure they'd get involved in this."

"Just wondered. I could tell they were well-connected...and the gods all know they're good at moving low-profile." He shrugged, unconcerned. "It was a thought. You probably don't want something as obvious as going there on dragon-back...if there were any dragons willing to carry anyone with Ravenlight not there."

Nevano managed to keep his amused smile to one side of his mouth. "I think I can find a way to contact them."

"Mutes and spiders again?" Gyrmallion raised an eyebrow.

"More like, keep complimenting their abilities out loud." Nevano smiled.

Ravenlight was frowning at Gyrmallion; then she inhaled in realization. "_That's_ why you were up in that town in the first place, wasn't it? That one we met; he said something about it being in an espionage war zone. You were the other half of it, weren't you?"

He smiled a little and nodded. "Like the Blades all over again; the early part of it. They were more than worthy adversaries."

"How's that war against them going?" Nevano asked.

A nasty grin tugged at the side of his mouth. "Now that _I'm_ no longer part of it? Probably much worse. That Mute...he's a nasty one, and I'm willing to bet he's got some vampiric abilities. But he's impatient. He wants results too fast." The smile slipped. "It won't be good for the town, and I wish I'd been able to do something about him while he was tearing my back open, interrogating me...but while he can find the hidden ones, he won't be able to find anything hidden in plain sight." He looked at Ravenlight. "That conversation you had in the inn was _clever_. If you'd included the warning about the frostbite spiders and the trade agreement _in_ the message, even I probably wouldn't have picked up on it."

Nevano snickered.

"_We_ found an ally," Ravenlight said coolly, "And _you_ got grabbed by the Mute. Who actually did better, there?" She glanced wryly at Gyrmallion. "The name 'Serana of the Dawnguard' wouldn't have meant anything to you then?"

"It would have been _odd_," he admitted, "But the phrase you did send was...well, ominous. That's why I decided to risk talking to you."

"Not why I'm laughing but fair point." Nevano said with a grin.

"Let's just say...be glad you got out when you did." Nevano said. "You wouldn't have won that battle. Ravenlight did awesome, by all accounts. I didn't expect that bastard to magically appear _behind_ me when I'm not making any noise but...it happened."

"Sounds like this...Mute does have vampiric abilities." Ahmetia frowned. "Would we have to worry about them, as well?"

"Not surrounded by the army _I'm_ putting together," Ravenlight answered. "We're facing something _considerably_ nastier-and a good chunk of it is more than accustomed to facing vampires." She grinned. "The dogs alone are...a force to be reckoned with. And that's not counting the blasted _trolls_."

"At this point, there's so many different groups, more are joining out of sheer jealousy." Nevano smirked. "Many with an axe to grind."

"It'll be helpful." Gyrmallion looked thoughtful. "I wonder...if the Armigers or their equivalents could point us in the direction of any Thalmor cells, especially ones that haven't been moving lately. If I can find the ones growing disillusioned with what's going on in Summerset...and the ones that will listen when I tell them what Rumalashorn has done..."

"Tell you what...when we get back, start singing the Armigers' praises." Nevano said. "After she's done feeding you as a reward, I'm sure our favorite storm bringer can help you out."

"I'll do that." Gyrmallion exchanged another amused grin with Ravenlight. "Once she's done with you, that is, because I don't think she'll be paying attention to anything else until then."

"The hell did I do this time?" Nevano frowned.

Ravenlight just giggled. "All right, let's finish eating and retrieve the other two. By the time we get back, Kriifaadneh should be waking up-and it's dark enough that the trip back _might_ be a little dangerous, so we shouldn't delay too much longer."

Nevano blinked, thoroughly confused.

Ahmetia looked between them for a moment. Then suddenly, she smiled broadly. "Well then. We'd best eat up; no reason to get back late!"

Nevano bit his lip, feeling like there was a giant joke going on and he was somehow the butt of it. Larifa caught his eye and shrugged: she didn't know what was going on, either.

* * *

They finished quickly and left, beginning the arduous task of finding the two more adventurous ones. Ravenlight simplified things by casting a Clairvoyance spell. She couldn't keep it up long: but it quickly led them to the pair, sitting on a bench outdoors not far from the Great Oak, eating pastries and chatting. Rellino hopped up at once when he saw them.

"There you are! Wow, we walked _everywhere._ The city is _amazing_." He grinned at Gyrmallion. "And everyone's talking about what you did."

"I should have put drakes on that." Nevano grinned.

"Veleth's not here to bet with you," Gyrmallion said dryly.

"I've cleaned him out too many times." Nevano laughed. "He's too easy sometimes."

He shrugged. "Doesn't appear to stop him."

"He can get me back. Don't play chess against him."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ravenlight said. She lifted a hand and cast a magelight. "Come on; and stay close. Night's when the goblins come out, and some of them might have wanted to investigate what the noise was earlier."

Nevano led them through the city and out the gate as if he was still living in the city. On the way out, he stuck to the road as long as possible. At one point, the road weaved between a large rock and a small hill. Nevano hesitated, looking off at the hill.

"What's up there?" Ravenlight asked, looking at him.

"Ah, nothing anyone would find interesting." Nevano said.

"Is that the graveyard?" Gyrmallion said.

"No, that's behind Castle Chorrol." Nevano said. "Just one here."

"Who's buried here?" Ahmetia glanced from him to the hill.

"Dunmer tradition is to burn the body and put the ashes in a shrine. Burying a body whole is insulting to us." Nevano said. "Ashlander tradition, since they move around, is if they cannot or do not have a tribal tomb, to build a cairn to put the ashes in. Which is what's up there."

"Whose ashes?" repeated Ravenlight. She was starting to suspect she knew.

"His name was Modryn Oreyn." Nevano said. "He died _that_ night. He was old then but he never would just stand by. Had a wicked arm. Probably scared the Thalmor because he preferred a mace. The spiked kind."

"You were close to him, weren't you?" Ravenlight said quietly, not willing yet to come out and say, 'He was your foster-father, at least go up and tell him good-bye!'

"Very." Nevano said. "I got here too late to save him. Lost it a bit when they told me. I stayed just long enough to build that cairn. When it was done, I left. This is the first time I've been back since."

"I think we should stop there, then," Ravenlight said. "If you haven't...said your farewells for that long. You probably _won't_ get the chance I did, to actually talk to him one last time in Sovngarde."

"I...don't remember what I said then. If I said anything at all." Nevano admitted. "Just at the top of the hill."

"In that case, I think you should have your chance now," said Ahmetia, putting her own hand behind Nevano's arm. "Come, now."

A bit taken aback at the women's insistence, Nevano allowed them to steer him up the hill. The cairn was at the bottom of a tree, piled with rocks. An old mace, rusted with age and weather, had been carefully placed on a flat rock in the middle.

As they drew close, both Ravenlight and Ahmetia halted, letting Nevano continue on alone. Nevano tilted his head as he got close. The stones seemed to glow a bit. "What are you doing, you old goat?"

If any of them noticed Ravenlight whispering in a conversational manner, none of them understood: because she was speaking Bosmeri. Though a few names could be picked out by the most observant: namely, Nevano, Drelasa...and Serana.

The stones glowed a bit brighter.

Nevano kneeled down in front of it, pulling away a few weeds that had grown up around the rocks. "Didn't do this the last time I was here. Or did and I didn't notice."

Gyrmallion glanced at Ravenlight in mild confusion, then leaned toward her. "Are you invoking something?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Just talking."

Nevano said something in his native tongue. It obviously was something flippant because there was a small flash and he jerked, rubbing at an ear while everyone got a brief sense of affectionate exasperation. It was hard not to laugh. But she managed it. And she felt a brief sense of...assent.

She smiled in deep satisfaction. Oreyn, it seemed, would be there for his foster son at the wedding.

Nevano spent a few more minutes at the cairn before he went back over to them. Ravenlight smiled a little. "Feel any better?"

"Yeah I...thanks." He ran his hand over his messy hair.

"We give our dead to the woods," Ravenlight said. "I didn't get the chance to say good-bye to Firefall until...well, until Sovngarde. And it...came back on me pretty hard later."

"This...wasn't easy. Not by any stretch." Nevano said. "Though he's still the same cranky old goat. Not a bad thing, really."

"Not a bad thing at all." Ravenlight paused and turned, cocking her head slightly and listening. "Well, I don't hear him snoring any longer. Hopefully that means he's awake and ready to get us back to Skyrim."

"Let's go then." Nevano said eagerly, wanting to get back to Serana.

* * *

Kriifaadneh was indeed awake, and also appeared to be in a better temper than he had been earlier, though not as eager as Odahviing could sometimes be. He looked at them all calmly as they came back, and while he didn't lower himself to make it easier for them to get on, he didn't shift over deliberately to make it harder, either.

"I take it that next time I hear of a herd of troublesome wild cattle to give you the tip?" Nevano asked.

"It would be...appreciated." Kriifaadneh was clearly trying to be aloof about that. He wasn't exactly succeeding.

"I will keep an ear out then." Nevano grinned.

Kriifaadneh, however, was the only one not fairly tired at the late hour. Ravenlight yawned, then glanced over at Nevusa, having noticed similar expressions on the others. "Nevusa, why don't you turn everyone into a cat this time. Be easier for him...and we can probably all sleep up there, then, too."

"Going to be a long flight." Nevusa agreed. "He's got enough spiky bits we won't fall off though can I see if I can make you a bigger cat? Block the wind for smaller kitties."

She nodded. "Jungle cat sounds good. See what you can do."

Nevusa held up her hand. "The worst that'll happen is you have furry ears for a short while after."

"Seen worse than that." She smiled as if at some secret joke. "Just don't turn me green."

"That'll only happen if Nevano gets to you." Nevusa snapped her fingers.

Ravenlight vanished, and in her place stood a large, sleek cat, perhaps half the size of a normal leopard. Her soft, thick coat was covered in large dapples of a darker gray than the rest of her. She turned in place, then sprang up and landed easily between his wings.

"I did it! Oh, she's pretty." Nevusa grinned. "Who is next?"

"I'll go," Gyrmallion said. "I'm...fairly tired myself."

In fairly short order, seven cats were nestled on the back of the enormous dragon. Fortunately no one was around to witness it, for even deer would giggle seeing a dragon laden down with cats. Kriifaadneh didn't seem to notice the ridiculousness of it. He pointed himself skyward and launched off, rising high into the star-strewn night sky.

As he flew steadily north, the air grew colder. Ravenlight wasn't sure which was the first of the cats to come up and snuggle next to her larger, warmer form: but by the time they flew over the mountains into Skyrim, all six of the smaller cats were huddled up against her, not quite like kittens...but fairly close.

Nevano snoozed, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. All he cared about was seeing Serana again. The rest would come after.


	32. Surprise Wedding

**Disclaimer**: Neither I nor Vanilla own anything in the story, save our respective OCs and what we're doing with them.

* * *

**Surprise Wedding**

It was perhaps an hour past sunrise when Kriifaadneh landed beside Windstad Manor. And apparently, according to Drelasa, who was standing on the doorstep and almost _vibrating_ with wild impatience, they were not a moment too soon. And possibly much more than a moment late. She actually charged the dragon the moment he landed, much to his surprise.

"You're finally here! Oh, I've been waiting!" She struggled up, ignoring the startled stare, and gazed at the heap of cats with mild dismay. "Which one of you is Nevano?!"

Nevano's head popped up. He looked around with a confused noise.

Nevusa changed back and jumped off, grabbing Nevano before he could run and handing him to Drelasa before changing everyone back.

"Ah thank you! Modyn! Let's go!" she yelled.

Ravenlight nearly doubled over at the startled yowl that followed in her wake as she raced off, cat in arms. She shook her head and stretched. "Let's go get ready as well."

Rellino blinked. "Ready for what?" His mother leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Really?!"

"I don't need a cat anymore!" came a yell from the direction of the house. Nevusa giggled and snapped her fingers. Instantly the yowling was replaced by frantic yelling. "Thank you!"

Ravenlight looked over the others. "You," she pointed at Gyrmallion, "look good. You three," she turned to the three Imperials, "will _definitely_ need something warmer to wear, as well as a little more formal. Nevusa, try to spruce up too. I'll get out of this, because it's really not appropriate for a wedding. And hopefully we'll still have the skiff available to get us across the harbor once we're done." She beckoned them inside. "Come on. I should have something suitable for all of you."

* * *

Veleth was waiting in the main hall, wearing full armor and a slightly evil smirk. Nevano wasn't positive but had he polished that armor? It certainly had a decided gleam to it.

"Where is everyone?" Nevano was _not_ liking this. "What is...what are...GAH!" Veleth slung him over his shoulder and carried him inside, not bothered at all by all the flailing.

Drelasa followed. "When was the last time you brushed your hair?"

"It _doesn't_!"

"Well I'm going to at least trim it." Drelasa fussed. "Oh good; you don't stink. Modyn won't have to dunk you."

They deftly stripped him, much to his protest.

"Oh shut up." Veleth muttered.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HEAD?!" Drelasa roared.

It was really unfair, Ravenlight considered from upstairs, that dragon armor was nearly impossible to remove while she was weak with laughter.

Nevano's head was spinning and not just from Drelasa yelling. He had no clue what was going on and no idea _why_ his hair was so important. He flinched when Drelasa shoved a glowing hand against his head, smoothing the scar out.

"Doesn't matter where you go or what you do...trouble." Drelasa muttered.

"NEVUSA!" Veleth roared. "Get rid of the tail!"

"_Tail?!_" Nevano spun. "What fecking tail?!"

"Hold still!" Drelasa growled.

Nevusa tried to snap her fingers but she could barely remain upright enough to do so.

"At least you don't have claws." Veleth said. "That would be worse."

"Says the one who has them on his armor and grows them when he turns into a demon." Nevano spat.

Veleth held up a hand. "_My_ nails are short, thank you."

"That's because you chew them off!" Nevano nearly wailed as Drelasa dragged a comb through his messy hair. "_Ow!_ Evil woman, it doesn't grow that way!"

"It grows in _every_ way because you don't brush it!" Drelasa said, valiantly fighting it.

"I've-ah, hahaha, _gods_, hahaha-got some de-tangling oil!" Ravenlight managed to get enough breath back to call out. "I'll bring it down to you here in a few seconds, just let me put something else on!"

"Do you need help with your armor, darling?" Drelasa called up.

"Really? You're going to switch to be sweet like that while you are _pulling my hair out_?!" Nevano growled.

"A little-heeheehee-help would be-would be appreciated! Ahahahaha!" She could barely reach the straps while she was laughing this hard.

Drelasa handed the comb to her smirking son and darted up the stairs. The howling below redoubled, along with several scuffles and bumps.

Drelasa was snickering as she came in. "He's been eager to torment Nevano for days now."

"We'll-ahaha-have to-have to, hahahaha, remind him that Serana will probably-oh gods, heeheeheehee, probably not want him snatched bald." Ravenlight was so weak she had to lean against her side table. "And once I'm, ahahahah, in something better, I'll bring the oil down, it really will help with the tangles."

"He's got plenty. Thick mane, that one has." Drelasa laughed. "Mostly they are chasing each other like children. That's why we stripped him first. Less likely to bolt outside."

"True, I don't think any of us could catch him at this point." Ravenlight wiped a few tears away, holding still as Drelasa undid the straps in the back that held her cuirass in place. "Thank you." She picked up a small glass bottle from the table. "Here's the oil, if you want to go down and help catch him."

Drelasa smiled. "I might freeze him in place."

Downstairs, Veleth and Nevano were damn near in a wrestling match, though it was a grossly uneven one with Veleth not only taller and far stronger, but dressed and armored. Nevano made up for his disadvantage by being slippery and difficult to catch.

"I better save them both." Drelasa giggled and fled back down with the oil. The squawking still continued but the sounds of a physical altercation ceased. Mostly. There was a bellowed Velothi curse and Veleth started laughing.

"There. Not you won't squirm." Drelasa said. "Modyn, stop laughing. Here, take his weapons. He won't need those. Stop trying to get free! You aren't going anywhere. Stop glaring and we'll give you _your_ armor back. It's clean now."

The cursing faded a small bit.

Ravenlight pulled on a rather resplendent set of clothes and settled a fiery-looking circlet of gold and rubies onto her head. Then she brought two more sets of equally-rich garb-both fortunately larger than what she was wearing-to Ahmetia and Larifa. "And I've got enough jewelry in this house to stock a shop," she added, gesturing to some nearby chests and strongboxes. "Feel free to pull on anything that catches your eye. Ahemetia, will you need help stuffing Rellino into anything?"

"Was that so bad?" Drelasa's voice came up. "Well...you weren't kidding. It goes everywhere. But no tangles now."

"Told you." Nevano said grumpily.

"If you've got any armor, he'll get into that happily enough," Ahmetia said. "Oh-my _goodness_, you weren't joking. Larifa, come help me decide."

* * *

Drelasa did a few more touch ups to make him look less like they dragged him from the woods. "There. Much better. Modyn will finish. I need to get ready."

"Get ready for _what_?!" Nevano tried to flail but Veleth had tied him too tight in the chair. "_None_ of you have said what the is fecking about and _you come near me with that and I will kick you in the gut, fetcher_!"

"I'm going to assume everyone else is over in Solitude or at the portico now?" Ravenlight glanced over as Drelasa came hurrying up. "And by the way, we've figured out what to do with Nevusa and Farkas."

"Yes. We had signs you were on your way." Drelasa smiled. "Tell me."

"It's quite simple," Ahmetia said, turning her head from side to side in front of Ravenlight's mirror to ensure that the circlet she was wearing was straight. "My father has believed us dead for over thirty years. When he learns we're alive and safe, he will be so overjoyed that he will likely agree to _anything_. Including attending a grand wedding at the Temple of the One. He probably won't even _notice_ who it's for...but he _will_ be there, as will we."

Drelasa pulled off the cloak she was wearing to protect her outfit from Nevano's onslaught, revealing a stunning mix of the tight leather she had worn while sparring with black and purple cloth. It fell from her fingertips as she gasped. "Oh...my."

"Nevusa's a Hlervu, isn't she? I dealt with them before, in the years before the war broke out. If there's anything that will shut them up faster than having the Emperor himself at her wedding, I don't know what it is."

"Oh they'll still howl like rabid dogs but they can't _do_ anything about it." Drelasa suddenly laughed. "Oh it'll be delicious! They can't even disown her! They'll be forced to even accept Farkas! It's perfect! She gets to be happy _and_ dig a knife into a lifestyle she hates while not being torn from her mother!"

Ahmetia smiled in satisfaction. "Always a joy when that happens."

"Oh, while I'm standing here..." Drelasa smiled. "I'm Drelasa Veleth. I'm happy you made it here safely, _serjo_. Hopefully things weren't as exciting on your end as they got here but something tells me they were even worse."

"I'm Ahmetia Mede. This is my daughter, Larifa; my son is off somewhere," she raised her voice slightly, "hopefully getting ready or I will show him the discipline techniques I learned from Ko'Haryla on the island." She took Drelasa's hand, but her smile slipped as she remembered what had happened. "We were in the center of the village, and guarded, but we could...hear everything. It sounded like the stories I grew up hearing about the Oblivion Crisis, and I...I did see the bodies brought in. And that poor man and his daughter." She shook her head. "Well. I'll tell you the details later. No need to darken a day like this with stories like that!"

Drelasa held her hand in both of hers. "No. We will hold our heads high no matter the cruelty Molag Bal unleashes. This is a happy day, a thing to celebrate and to prove just what we fight for. And to see the look on my favorite fetcher's face when he realizes what we've been blatantly planning behind his back."

All four women giggled in unison at that.

"Oblivious thing." She snickered. She took out her usual necklace with her rings and put it on. "Ravenlight, thank you. I'm not sure how you found him but Oreyn's spirit found _me_. Both he and Jorun are waiting. They said they wouldn't miss this for anything. Said they have...a surprise? I can only imagine what Jorun is up to."

"Oh my." Ravenlight laughed. "We stopped at Chorrol last night; Nevano, for what I reason I do not entirely understand, promised Kriifaadneh a herd of wild cattle in the area, and the glutton proceeded to eat nearly all of them. Gave us more than half a day's rest while we waited for him to sleep it off. He wound up taking us into the city; afterward, we stopped by the hill where Oreyn's grave is, and I talked Nevano into going up there. And..." She shrugged. "I could feel him come, so I told him about the wedding and that you wanted him there."

"He went into..." Drelasa paused. "I have known Nevano for over two centuries. He is the most stubborn and obstinate thing outside my husband and son. He does _not_ let things go easily, if at all. Yet, in just a few short weeks, you have gotten him to accept Altmer, find love and go back to a past he's been determined to run from for over two decades. I've said it before, I'll say it again. I do not own enough to ever be able to repay what you've done for my family… which I consider you part of now. All I can give is my deepest gratitude… and connections. Just ask anytime."

"Well..." Ravenlight grinned, "we were thinking of asking the Armigers to smuggle Sorosi into the Imperial City for Nevusa's wedding, to get her there on time and avoid any trouble from the rest of her family."

"Consider it done." Drelasa said. "I will draft a swift message and send it along on the way to the wedding. She will be on a horse to the Imperial City before we even point our noses that way."

"Good!" Ravenlight paused, noticing something, and laughed. "And considering that my amulet of Mara is missing from the display case, I strongly suspect that's a wedding we _won't_ need to hide from the groom before it happens."

"He got it soon after you left." Drelasa removed one ring from her necklace and slid it on. "Serana's been in a whirlwind this whole time. When she wasn't staring at the horizon looking for you, she's been fretting over details and asking Dreyla and Cattie-brie endless questions. It's adorable, really."

Ravenlight shook her head. "Poor girl. You know, I don't think she ever accepted that Swynjolf really loved her until it was too late; which was...understandable, considering they were together before she was locked away. And now that it's here, now that it's happening..." She smiled. "She found a place with the Dawnguard. But now, finding someone to stand beside her? That's even better."

"It's one hell of a love ballad, that's for sure." Drelasa tipped her head. "I don't know if the lack of yelling is a good thing or bad..."

"By the way, if you really want to be impressed with him, once it's over, I'll tell you what Nevano did to help Gyrmallion convince Chorrol-and probably a good chunk of Cyrodiil, as well-that the Chii Chare are different from the Thalmor. I..." Ravenlight shook her head at the memory. "He's got a heart about as noble as my _brother's_, though I honestly don't think I really saw it until then." She considered the silence from below. "With any luck, it just means they're finished, and not that Veleth knocked him out."

"It's in there. Just look past all the barriers of ridiculousness and brambles he's set up." Drelasa smiled gently. "It didn't turn into a fire pit in here so I don't think it's the latter."

"If he's ready, then we should probably get down...the skiff is still there, isn't it?" Ravenlight gently herded Ahmetia and Larifa downstairs, not that they needed much help. "If so, we've got a pilot; Gyrmallion apparently grew up on the water."

They came down the stairs. She saw Nevano, sitting in front of the fire, and whistled appreciatively. "Well, you certainly clean up nice! Serana's going to be impressed!"

His eyes were wide and his face a bit pale. He opened his mouth but no words came out.

"I'm sure he'll figure out how to say _juohn_ here soon." Veleth grinned. "He's impressed, though. What you did with that armor is amazing."

"Lots of practice." She admired him. "My goodness, that looks good on you. I'd been saving that vale panther for something special; looks like I picked the right thing." She grinned then. "And did you notice the boots?"

He looked down dumbly.

Veleth looked as if he could kiss her. "They. Don't. Stink. You know what? I don't care if you had to bind a soul to them to get that stench out. Boots are amazing."

"Just new lining. Should feel better, too. They were really badly worn." She turned to Drelasa. "Does he pass muster?"

"Wonderfully." Drelasa grinned. "He looks marvelous. Being on the stand it looked good but it didn't do it justice as it does on him. Finally you look more like the Nerevarine and less like the scamp that crawled in from the rain."

"_El edur merdekhes._" Nevano murmured, unable to even form common.

"He said it's gorgeous." Veleth said. "You stunned him right out of common!"

"Wait till we get to the portico," Ravenlight grinned. "All right, let's round everyone up and get out there."

Nevano frowned, his mind finally catching up. "Portico? What the hell is going on?"

"'Vusa, lets go!" Veleth yelled. "She and I will meet you there. Got something we got to get."

"All right." Ravenlight caught Nevano's arm and pulled him up. "Gyrmallion! Come on!" She glanced over at Drelasa. "Dare I ask where the rings are?"

"Rings?" Nevano blinked.

"Already there." Drelasa ignored him.

Gyrmallion appeared then, Rellion with him. The Altmer had cleaned up his armor a little more and combed his hair back; Rellino had decided to pull on the carved Nordic armor Ravenlight had made for practice a few years earlier. He looked impressive, though she wasn't sure how long he'd be happy about the weight.

"Lead on," Gyrmallion said with a grin.

Nevusa came flying out, wearing leather armor with strange plates and braces sewn on it, polished until it gleamed. She leaped onto one of the horses Veleth had procured from somewhere and they took off quickly.

Nevano stared. He wanted to ask but at this point he didn't even know _what_ to ask.

"Harbor's the quickest way across," Ravenlight said. "Come on. And watch your step, it might still be a little slick or muddy down by the shore."

Drelasa frog-marched Nevano down, not letting him go. She could see he was getting overwhelmed. She wasn't about to let him bolt. Or pass out.

* * *

Ravenlight nearly burst into laughter when she saw the skiff: the girls had certainly been enthusiastic with the flowers. There almost wasn't room to sit around them.

Nevano, fortunately, was too overwhelmed to be seasick, or even complain too much as Gyrmallion proved that his talk of knowing how to handle a boat wasn't just bragging. He didn't know the harbor perfectly, and had to be warned now and then of rocks or sandbars, but he steered around them easily, and they were at the other side in less than half an hour. Ravenlight pointed up toward the cliffs. "Up that way. I'll show you the path." She glanced around. "Huh. Normally there's a lot more people here at this time of day..."

Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at Drelasa, an eyebrow raised.

"Discretion only goes so far in an instance like this." Drelasa shrugged. "We...were able to get creative. Many were so excited they offered a few services. It's definitely something that's going to be remembered."

Ravenlight guided them up the steep slopes, and over to the path that wound up toward the temple. From below, even now, the top of the huge statue of Meridia was visible. People normally avoided, or simply ignored, the area. Today, however, that was not the case. Companions stood as honor guard halfway up to the temple itself: and from what she could tell, everyone in _Solitude_ was present, gathered anywhere they could hope to see. The Circle stood near the head of the stairs, with the Chii Chare with them. Ravenlight bit back a guffaw when she saw how they had gone about convincing the Nords they weren't with the Thalmor: they were all wearing amulets of Talos. Tables groaning with food stood near the nearby Dragon Wall; on top of the wall, craggy as his mountaintop, Paarthurnax perched, watching the goings-on with great interest.

"Would one of you _please_ tell me what is going on?" Nevano pleaded.

"In just a moment." Drelasa kissed his forehead. "Ravenlight, will you take him? Modyn and Nevusa shouldn't be long. I need to complete my end."

Ravenlight grinned and took him, quietly pointing out places for Ahmetia and her children to stand, while Gyrmallion went to stand with his men. She guided him up to the portico itself. The main part was clear, save for a small group near one corner, which included Cattie-Brie, Zak, Elealda grinning all over her face, Dreyla and Dusty, Ravenlight's three children, and a couple of people he couldn't see clearly.

Ravenlight guided him to the front, by the altar where Meridia's beacon glowed...and two Dunmer, in differing priestly robes, waited. The man wore the robes of a priest of Mara; the woman was dressed in Azurine garb. There, she placed him slightly in front of them, and stepped behind him.

"Ravenlight..._what the hell did you two do?_" Nevano whispered to her in a near panic.

Grinning, she leaned forward and whispered, "Congratulations, lover boy."

The priests began to speak.

Nevusa and Veleth slid into place, discreetly sliding a small box each out of sight. Off to the side, Drelasa, with the twins helping, called forth Jorun and Oreyn's spirits. They quickly came...along with many others. A familiar voice whispered "Well done, adopted daughter," in Ravenlight's ear.

Realization suddenly dawned on Nevano's face. For a moment no one was sure if he was going to pass out, be sick or had merely been frozen in place for the rest of time. Those closest to him knew for sure that the only thing that kept his feet solidly on the ground was Nerevar.

And then the small knot of familiar people at the end of the portico parted like a curtain, stepping aside to allow the two he couldn't see clearly to step forward. One was Drizzt, who, while not her father-figure, was certainly the closest thing to a male relative Serana had.

And the other was Serana, a _vision_ in the blue gown and jewelry he'd found for Ravenlight to wear in Blacklight. The jewelry draped around her, shimmering in the morning light: on her head was a circlet of delicate ivy, blue mountain flowers, and even gleamblossoms, the mysterious flowers normally only found in the Forgotten Vale, and she carried a bouquet of gleamblossoms and dragon's-tongue. She looked up and saw him...and smiled.

Nevano was positive his heart was about to stop, though this time in quite possibly the best way ever. He instantly forgot there were even other people there. She was...by the gods above and below, she was the most stunning thing he had ever seen. He was vaguely aware of Nerevar laughing happily and telling him to shut his mouth but he had no control anymore and _that_ wasn't Nerevar's doing. Serana. This was a wedding. _Their_ wedding. They were getting...oh gods he hadn't asked her, didn't have anything for her, what the _hell_ were they thinking springing this when he didn't have a ring for her?

"Ravenlight..." his lips barely moved. "I don't...I don't even have a ring for her..."

"Yes you do," she whispered. "I made one for both of you."

Serana came up and stopped in front of him, Drizzt stepping back and slightly behind her. There was a ripple of laughter-which Nevano probably didn't notice-as Connlach, clutching a decorative box for dear life, started to follow and was gently stopped by Cattie-Brie.

Serana handed off the bouquet and reached for his hands. He took hers, Nerevar making sure he wasn't shaking like a damp cat, and finally cracked a smile. "Beautiful," was the only word he could muster, swallowing hard. _This is real._ He wasn't sure he could say much else. Not without breaking down right then and there.

Ravenlight squeezed his shoulder.

The priests spoke again. Questions, or vows, maybe? He couldn't hear them. Nerevar prompted the correct answers when it was time. Then Connlach came up, offering the box. Ravenlight and Drizzt reached in; and then Ravenlight handed him a golden ring, set with a brilliant ruby.

Nevano almost didn't notice. He could barely take his eyes off Serana. He knew it was a ring. He felt it was a ring. That was it. He thought he heard a few people start getting weepy in the crowd. '_Oh gods, no don't._' He mentally pleaded. '_They start crying, there's no way I'll be able to stop myself from crying too!_'

She held out her hand; automatically, he took it, slipping the ring onto her finger. Then she did the same with him. They clasped hands. The priests spoke a blessing, first one, then the other.

Then he heard them clearly for the first time. "You may kiss the bride."

Now _that_ he could do without any help. And if anyone tried to interrupt _this_ kiss, he'd promise that enormous dragon watching every sheep in Skingrad to send the interrupter flying down the mountain. He pulled her close and damn near fainted at what was probably the best kiss in his life.

The cheers from the crowd-along with quite a bit of happy sobbing-could probably be heard as far away as Morthal. Paarthurnax roared his approval. Even the horizon seemed to shift. The sun dampened and the moons peeked back up, lining up with a star to shine just as brilliantly as the sun.

"You...are absolutely the most amazing thing to ever happen to me." Nevano murmured against Serana's cheek. "And I'm so proud to be up here with you for everyone to see. Though the next time they see us, they'll wonder which of us is the vampire because I'm going to leave the proudest love mark on your neck..."

He grunted a little as her arms tightened. "I never believed this would ever happen," she whispered. "And I'll wear those love marks and return them..." Her voice caught a little. "Gods, I'm so happy they let us meet. I'm so happy..."

"You can bite me all you want." Nevano took her hand. "Apparently there's more to go. C'mon. I think they're waiting for us..."

Hand in hand, they turned to face the crowd, who roared their approval again. Nevano nearly staggered, realizing now just _how many_ people had come. Not only that...the souls of all those he had been close to who had passed on were there. He squeezed Serana's hand, his heart pounding again.

Ravenlight came up behind them, squeezing them both in a tight hug. "Congratulations, little cousin," she murmured to Serana. Then she squished Nevano a little tighter. "And you too, ornery little cousin."

"I might dye every last stitch of your clothes orange for this." He grinned at her, not a drop of malice in his voice. "Sleep in fear tonight."

She laughed. "If the way she's looking at you is any indication, I won't have to sleep in fear of you for a couple of _weeks._"

"Nope!" He squeezed Serana's hand and led her back down the aisle.

* * *

Nords were an emotional people. It was doubtful that even a fourth of the crowd knew Nevano, or even Serana: but they had to run almost a gauntlet of congratulations, friendly backslaps, and even exuberant hugs on the way down, before a couple of less eager folks caught them and led them to a high table over near the Dragon Wall.

Even the spirits were enjoying themselves. The twins and Drelasa had kept the portal open with Azura's blessing and protection, allowing them to stay as long as they wanted. Most spirits didn't like to linger among the living, finding it painful; but a celebration like this was warm and inviting to them. Especially to those who had been rowdy warriors for hire in life.

The performers of the Bard's College were very much in evidence. The few players had kept their music fairly sedate for the wedding; but once the party had started, they pulled out their instruments and began playing in earnest. Some folk had started dancing before they even thought to come eat.

And there was food. There were _massive_ quantities of food, something that almost puzzled Ravenlight until she spotted Elisef, looking quite pleased with herself, in the crowd.

Nevano managed to find both Ravenlight and Drelasa. Drelasa looked like she had been one of the happy crying ones. She squeezed them both into a massive hug, new tears sliding down her face.

" 'Lasa, can't breath!" Nevano wheezed.

"You outdid yourself," Ravenlight praised the older Dunmer. "I don't think I would have _imagined_ you could have got everyone in Solitude over here."

"About that..." Nevano rubbed his neck. "_How?_"

"Well, with us running around while you were gone, it didn't take long for someone to put two and two together." Drelasa grinned. "Next thing I know, people were asking and word got around and all of the sudden we had a crowd asking to help and watch. Of course I wasn't going to say no. You two deserve this. And Nevano, you are so wonderfully oblivious. Have you even looked at your ring?"

"Ring...? Oh!" Nevano had totally forgotten. "I was busy looking at something else."

"I suspect you had help with all that," Ravenlight said wryly. "Elisef is over there looking like the cat that got the cream _and_ the canary. I'm willing to bet she dropped both some suggestions _and_ some orders: certainly her staff helped put all this food together."

"We had a lovely conversation while the two tiny ones toured the palace." Drelasa said. "I think Dusty ruined her court wizard's notes..."

Ravenlight inhaled hard. "Ooh. I _might_ have to talk with her about that...hopefully it was not important."

"He's discovered that blowing raspberries has...other results. Messy ones. He's thrilled." Drelasa rolled her eyes. "Boys. You two go mingle! Go!"

"So you did get to meet her officially," Ravenlight said as Nevano and Serana moved off, hands stuck together as if they'd been glued there.

"We were summoned, yes."

"Summoned, eh?" Ravenlight's eyebrows arched, and she looked back at the smug queen.

"It really was a lovely afternoon." Drelasa smiled. "Ah, darling, now that it's a much stronger summon and Azura herself is providing stability...this might be your only chance." She beckoned, her eyes sparkling, and a spirit came forward. "Ravenlight, this is Jorun."

It was easy to see where Veleth had gotten his height and bulk, though Jorun's features weren't as harsh.

Ravenlight smiled broadly, and bowed slightly. "It's good to meet you in person."

"The pleasure is mine." Jorun's voice sounded far away and echoed as if in a large room. "I regret that the most I can do is watch every now and then."

"You do more than that, my love." Drelasa was almost sparkling having her husband at her side again, though it was a bit tempered. "You are still so very nosy."

"I was going to say," Ravenlight said, "watching and speaking has helped us _greatly_ these past few days."

Jorun chuckled, though there was a smug tone. He was still useful and he knew it.

"There is much darkness that will have to be spoken of, and soon," Ravenlight said. "But for now, we will focus on joy. And I am glad to have you here to partake of that." She smiled suddenly. "And perhaps we can have you witness Nevusa's wedding as well. I suspect she'd like that."

"Yes. The joy here drowns out how cold it can feel." Jorun said. "And I'd like that. Very much. I watched Nevusa from afar her whole life. It pained me greatly but I couldn't tell Nevano. It was the best way to protect her. Now she will be brave where her mother couldn't. It was worth it."

They turned at a startled squawk from Nevano to see Farkas pick both of the two up like children and squash them in an enthusiastic bear hug. Nevusa stood by him, giggling wickedly.

"I do hope you will hold the look on Nevano's face when he realized what was going on over his head forever." Jorun said. "Because this...is too damned good."

"I couldn't see it," Ravenlight admitted, "because I was behind him. But I thought I was going to have to catch him for a minute there."

"Nerevar was holding him. And was wildly amused." Jorun said. "I believe my son will help in teasing him. Two act more like brothers..."

"I know." She smiled at Drelasa. "I keep having to remind myself you're not his mother; or at least, his physical mother. That's certainly how you...connect to him in my mind." She glanced over at Drizzt, who had congratulated the couple himself and was now dancing with Cattie-Brie, their happily squealing baby between them. "Though I suppose the blood relationship doesn't matter so much..."

"Blood matters little." Drelasa smiled. "So long as you care for them, they are family. Besides, the eclectic mix makes for a more interesting get-together."

* * *

Veleth dragged Nevusa over to Nevano and Serana, Farkas and Dreyla following.

"I have no idea how you kept your mouth shut, Bull." Nevano said. "Usually I can tell instantly when you are hiding something."

"Then I picked a damn good one to not tip you off on." He smirked. "I've known since the start. You should get sliced open more often. You hear more gossip that way."

Dreyla nudged him. Dusty, looking absolutely adorable in an infant-sized formal outfit, giggled and blew spit bubbles.

"I didn't forget." He said. "We all pitched in and got you two a wedding present. It was Farkas' idea and we expanded on it."

Nevusa stepped up holding two boxes. She peeked in one. "We didn't mark the boxes...this is for you, Serana." She handed them out appropriately. "We hope you like it. Were scratching our heads trying to figure out what to get."

She accepted the box with a smile and opened it.

"You didn't have to do anything!" Nevano said. "The fact you pulled all _this_ off..."

"Stop talking and open it!" Veleth motioned.

Nevano opened his as well.

Inside were matching daggers of a steel Nevano didn't recognize right away but Serana did. The grips were inlaid with ebony and their names were engraved on them, along with the date.

"You forget the date you get married and there's hell to pay." Veleth grunted when Dreyla slugged him on the shoulder.

"How did you get these? I don't even recognize this steel." Nevano admired it, running his fingers over the blade.

"It's called Skyforge Steel." Nevusa smiled at Farkas. "Though Farkas can explain it far better than I can."

"Special steel," he said, shifting bashfully. "Special forge, too. No one knows who made it. Makes better steel than anywhere else. Belongs to the Companions." He gestured to them. "She's the Harbinger's cousin...and you married her. So you're...almost Companions. Felt right."

"It's one hell of a metal." Veleth said admiringly. "Holds up to my sword without any nicks or bending. We tried."

"Yep." Farkas grinned. "That was fun."

"How long did Drelasa yell at you?" Nevano asked.

"I don't know. We tuned it out. Then ran when the storm clouds rolled in." Veleth said casually. "Then tried again."

Farkas cheerfully punched Veleth in the shoulder. "We wore each other out. He's a _good_ fighter."

Nevusa's eyes sparkled, and she bit her lip, moving a little closer to the big warrior.

Veleth laughed. "You aren't so bad yourself...for a human."

"Used to be a wolf, remember?" Farkas grinned. He smiled down at Nevusa. "Vilkas likes fighting him, too. No rage issues with us." He looked over at Zak, who'd found a place out of the general celebrations and was busy looking as uncomfortable as possible. "He's fun to fight with, too, when he's not getting mad."

"Boethiah kinda hates what he's got going on. Very annoying." Veleth shrugged. "Even with Drizzt I can keep it leashed."

Nevusa beckoned Farkas with a tilt of her head. He noticed, and went over to her. "Um..what?"

"Cmon. Let's go dance. Let them talk to others." Nevusa smiled. "You and my brother can butt heads like goats later."

Farkas grinned. "Sure!"

* * *

Ravenlight finished talking with Jorun and Drelasa and moved away, walking through the crowd and listening to the conversation. Then she halted, noting a strange figure near the edge of the crowd. It wasn't Zak: she could see him, trying not to be obvious about hiding on the other side of the Dragon Wall. No...this was someone else. And she suspected she knew who it was.

As she drew closer, she saw the glowing golden eyes beneath the hood pulled high to protect her from the light, and knew she was right.

"Lady Valerica," she greeted formally. "I didn't expect to see you here."

The older vampire smiled a little. "Did you really think I wouldn't come for my daughter's wedding?"

The newlywed couple didn't seem to notice, swamped by more well wishers. However, a few spirits seemed to notice. One spirit in particular seemed to linger. It didn't coalesce into a form though, making it impossible to see who it was.

"I...honestly didn't know," Ravenlight replied. "The relationship between you is...cool, to say the least."

Valerica sighed. "I know. And...it's my fault. Neither her father nor I treated her as she should have been treated, and I don't think there's any real way to make up for that. But..." She looked over to where Serana stood, resplendent in the sun in blatant defiance of her heritage. "I do want to know she's happy. And I do...wish her well for the years ahead."

Ravenlight nodded, her face softening a little. "I won't tell her you're here. I don't know how she'd react, and I don't want to dampen her joy. But afterward...I will tell her you came, and I will tell her what you said."

Valerica smiled and nodded. "I ask no more than that. Thank you, Dragonborn."

The spirit seemed to relax a bit.

* * *

Ravenlight left Valerica to whatever she planned to do and went back among the revelers. The dancing had attracted quite a number of people already, Companions and people of Solitude alike. Vilkas was dancing with Lucia; Blaise with a pretty girl about his age from Solitude, and Connlach spinning on his own in such a way that he was probably going to have to make use of a bush in a few minutes. Evette San was keeping an eye on the drinks table, where mead and wine flowed like water: a cheerful fellow she vaguely recognized from the Blue Palace handed out sweet rolls and honey-nut treats, along with slicing into roasts and passing out grilled fish. Even the Chii Chare were enjoying the rowdy party, and the Talos amulets ensured that the cold shoulder they might have otherwise received was not in evidence. Though a gold gleam that flashed in the middle of the crowd told Ravenlight that a certain ring was being employed to spread some positive gossip.

"Ravenlight!" A voice she had not expected spoke at her elbow, and she turned quickly to see Dismas, the current head of the Skyrim Thieves' Guild, standing there with his wife Serethal on his arm, and both of them grinning. "You and your friends can certainly throw a party! I've never seen it this active over here!"

"Dismas, Serethal, good to see you!" She hugged Serethal, then pulled Dismas into a painfully tight hug. "Do I need to start counting servingware, by any chance?"

"Ack! Ow! No!" He struggled in her grip. "That's not why I'm here! Promise!"

"No problems, _alma sera_?" The twins asked, popping up almost at her elbows.

"There better not be," she said in a dangerously sweet voice, releasing him. "So, Dismas. Why _are_ you here?"

"Owww..." He rubbed the small of his back. "Advance...guard, I guess. Or warning. Delphine _and_ Madanach asked me to head your way to let you know they're both on the move. They're heading to Whiterun."

"That is good news. Thank you for telling me." Ravenlight relaxed slightly.

* * *

Drelasa ran across Gyrmallion. "I heard you had quite an adventure, my dear." She smiled.

"You could...certainly call it that." He smiled at her. He was the only one of the Chii Chare who wasn't wearing a Talos amulet...but his armor was unusual enough to give everyone who came across him pause, and with the Companions completely relaxed around him, no one was giving him trouble. "Which part did you hear about?"

"The fighting, there was an apparent head wound, a child had a very terrible time..." Drelasa said. "And you setting the hearts of Chorrol on the road to healing. And acceptance."

"I...Nevano helped with that last. And a great deal with the third." He sighed. "I won't detail here what we discovered when we arrived at the island. But I will say that the path of the Chii Chare has been laid out as blatantly as if it were paved with golden cobblestone. But Chorrol...it was hard going in there, walking under those stares. But what happened at the Great Oak was healing for...a great many, me included."

"Who helped is inconsequential." Jorun reappeared at Drelasa's side. "You can have all the help in the world and still muck it up. You made it happen. That is worthy of respect."

"True." He bowed to Jorun.

"You were right, I like this one." Jorun said to Drelasa. "See, if they had sent the ones with half this one's charm, it might have taken me longer to set Morrowind to rebel."

"Jorun Veleth..." Gyrmallion frowned a little, then smiled. "You were the leader of the Armigers."

"That I was." Jorun smiled. "And you were recently in Rivenspire, trying to win that mess."

"I was." They smiled at each other.

"Ah what was the name of that town..." Jorun said. "Oh yes. Fell's Run. A small town not worth any mention...except it is by the coast and on the main road between Northpoint and Shornhelm. Control that, control Rivenspire."

"Nosy." Drelasa said affectionately. "You didn't have much to do with Rivenspire."

"No, but the Armigers were there." Gyrmallion smiled. "And _that_, actually, is why I was there. I'm rather good at matching cunning opponents." He laughed. "Actually, if it hadn't been for your rebellion against Morrowind, I probably wouldn't have been there at all. Up until then, no one paid any attention whenever I muttered that the Armigers would likely be trouble."

"Of course they were." Jorun laughed. "I had them everywhere. I knew once we broke cover, we would have to deal with heavier opposition. So I made sure they were entrenched. Of course, I made a mistake and now I'm dead. However..." He smiled affectionately at his wife. "The game has changed again."

Gyrmallion laughed and bowed again, this time to Drelasa. "_Very_ well played, my lady; even if we were still on opposing sides it would have likely taken me a year to guess."

Drelasa smiled broadly, inclining her head. "There is still far more to come. I will say though...you only caught one Armiger. And she set herself on fire. Dramatic, but effective. I daresay you might need some quiet help when you make your big move against the Thalmor. I believe you will find you have that help, for my people can certainly appreciate breaking away."

He grimaced. "Yes, and I would have yelled much more loudly at those heavy-handed idiots responsible for that if they both hadn't died along with her. Though...I will say, her death was not in vain. She damaged the room so badly we had to move it to another one-which I insisted have a way to escape quickly should other prisoners have similar tricks. It wound up saving Nevano." He nodded to Drelasa. "And...having the Armigers alert to any Thalmor unhappy with what's going on will be _most_ helpful indeed. Especially if they know to spread a particular rumor, which I am sorry to say, is true."

"I gathered that when the handful of them landed in my kitchen." Drelasa laughed. "I will set the word out. It will spread. _Very_ quickly. Right, my love?"

"Once an Armiger, always an Armiger." Jorun agreed.

Gyrmallion swallowed, then leaned forward. "Don't speak this loud enough for any to hear now. But Rumalashorn Taromoth is in league with Molag Bal. He's promised the Thalmor-the _Altmer_-to the Lord of Domination in exchange for power."

"Oof, that is...hmm..." Jorun already was thinking. Drelasa coughed, bringing him back. "Ah, right. Now is not the time but I will poke around. I will see what I can find for you. This won't stand, that I can assure you. We will free you from whatever you are unwillingly under."

Gyrmallion nodded. "Thank you."

He turned then as Ahmetia appeared by his elbow. "Ahmetia. Or should I start saying Princess Ahmetia again?"

"We can wait for that until we're back at the Imperial City." Ahmetia smiled. "Drelasa. And Jorun."

Both of them inclined their heads deeply. Not enough to arouse suspicion to her identity, but quite enough to be respectful. Jorun seemed highly amused. Drelasa hissed something in Dunmeri that only seemed to amuse him more. Drelasa rolled her eyes. "Dead and he's still an ass..."

"I never had the pleasure of meeting him in life; and for that I'm sorry." She smiled at him. "Dare I hope we'll see you if all goes as planned for Nevusa's wedding?"

"Probably not as strong as I can now. This was a blessing from Azura because she loves Nerevar and Nevano." Jorun said. "But I wouldn't miss it."

"Well, I don't know if it being this strong would be a good thing in the heart of the Imperial City." She glanced around at the other spirits in some amusement. "But I would be delighted to know you were watching."

"Oh, all of them were ones Oreyn and I rounded up. They all know Nevano." Jorun chuckled. "Tried to find a few for Serana but most I...left them where I found them. Except one. She's being a bit shy but she'll come out here soon."

"I know only a little about Serana's story," Gyrmallion said ruefully. "Admittedly, there...hasn't been much time to talk about it."

* * *

It was Drizzt who noticed her first. For the most part, he was ignoring the drifting spirits, having plenty to do with the living...most notably Connlach, who had spun around often enough to make himself sick, and was showing every sign of wanting to do it again. As he held the small boy in place, gently scolding him for overdoing it, he felt a familiar chill on the back of his neck: a breath, a whisper, that instantly brought a flash of both horror and relief: memories at once of the Undercroft and the moment of triumph after the altar of Molag Bal had been reduced to rubble. He finished with Connlach and straightened, turning slowly.

It took him half a second to remember the name. "Almera? Is that you?"

The spirit still hadn't quite formed fully yet, still a bit shy. He didn't step forward, remembering the shy, frightened shade in the Undercroft, and the way she'd flinched away from him. "Is everything well with you now?"

"Yes," came a small whisper.

He smiled gently. "That's good. Did you come with the others, for Serana?"

"Yes. They found me." She said. "He was nice. Said I would see Serana."

"Have you got to see her, or talk to her yet?"

"I saw her! In the pretty dress!"

"Yes, it is a pretty one, isn't it?" Drizzt glanced over at the dance ground, where she and Nevano had started whirling together.

"I'm just looking around now. There's so many people."

"There really is. I was surprised; I hadn't really thought Drelasa could get all of Solitude out here, but she did a good job." He looked toward Almera again. "Are you going to talk to Serana before you leave? I think it would make her happy to know that you came to her wedding."

"Yeah! She's just busy right now."

"There is that." He smiled. "I'm glad you came, Almera; and I know she will be, too."

"I'm going to go play with my new friends. I'll be back!" The spirit whirled off.

As she did so, more than one ghost went after her. Far from being unfriendly, they had the look of a protective parent trailing after their bouncing child. It seemed Jorun had talked with them about the child spirit.

Drizzt smiled as he watched her go. It was good to know that she had, indeed, escaped the fate that might otherwise have befallen her. It was very good to know. Several spirits waved to him as they went by. They were keeping watch on her. One woman stopped by him. "Don't worry. We've been escorting her everywhere. She won't get lost with us around!"

He smiled and half-bowed to them, then turned quickly back to Connlach. He was going to have to watch how many honey-nut treats that boy was eating, that was for certain.

* * *

The celebration lasted for most of the day, everyone proving that they knew how to party and party hard. However, the youngest children were starting to get partied out and more than one was yawning. Nevano spied Dusty yawning but refusing to give in, and nudged Ravenlight. "So...remember what I said about certain songs?"

She smiled. "Yes, actually. I do."

"Think we can convince Veleth to fecking sing in front of a crowd? After all...I think the payback is fair since I was dropped in front of an entire city with no warning." Nevano grinned widely.

"Nevano, if we _had_ straight-out said that we were putting together a wedding for you and Serana, we would have needed the Armigers to find you again," Ravenlight said dryly. She glanced over at him. "But I don't think it'll take much convincing. He's had a _lot_ of wine."

"Maybe. Hard to say because, really, I'd marry her again in a heartbeat." Nevano said. "And I'm _very_ well aware how much he's been drinking. Who do you think is giving it to him? I was hoping this would happen."

"In that case, I'd start by giving him the baby." Ravenlight glanced over at Drizzt and Cattie-Brie, who were shushing Alustra, and smiled fondly.

"Time to see if drinking makes his singing any better." Nevano grinned wickedly. "It was good to begin with but I am _curious_." He ducked into the crowd.

It really didn't take much convincing for him to get a fussy Dusty from his mother to his father. The tricky part was getting him to actually sing. But, a few nudges here and there, including utilizing a few bards, Drelasa and Jorun, the twins, even Nevusa and, for reasons absolutely no one could discern, a fork. No one could even tell _where_ he got the fork from because it didn't match any of the other forks there.

Finally, Nevano went up to Veleth, twirling the fork. Despite the _slight_ spinning in his head from the drinking contest he had gotten into with Vilkas and Farkas, Veleth was instantly suspicious and on alert. He _knew_ that smile. He could be blacked-out drunk and still know Nevano was up to trouble.

"Dusty doesn't want to nap." Nevano said.

"I can see that..." Veleth looked down at his cranky son.

"You know what that means." Nevano's grin stretched wider. Even Paarthurnax took notice of the mischief in that smile.

"Well, yeah but..." Realization hit Veleth like a tree branch to the head. "No! What the feck? Nevano, I am _not_..."

The bards struck up a tune that immediately grabbed everyone's attention. The strings and flutes wound around each other, sounding equal parts sad and happy. It was the sea during a storm but with the hope of safe harbor nearby. With his son watching him expectantly, Veleth knew there was no way he was getting out of this. Not without causing an irate baby. He would never be drunk enough to want to risk that. Settling Dusty safely away from the harsh points of his armor, he waited for his opening chord, trying (but not terribly hard) to not think of wringing Nevano's neck for this afterwards.

_"An old man by a seashore at the end of day_

_Gazes the horizon with sea winds in his face._

_Tempest-tossed island, seasons all the same_

_Anchorage unpainted and a ship without a name."_

Everyone was pleasantly surprised. Veleth had a bit of a hidden talent when it came to singing and, despite his inebriated state, he didn't miss a beat, much to Dusty's sleepy delight. The twins, obviously familiar with the song, jumped in. Their voices pairing with Veleth's deeper tone perfectly.

"_Sea without a shore for the banished one unheard_

_He lightens the beacon, light at the end of world_

_Showing the way, lighting hope in their hearts_

_The ones on their travels homeward from afar"_

_"This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world_

_Horizon's crying the tears he left behind long ago"_

Nevano and Nevusa joined in as well, their voices lighter and giving the beauty of the song a whole new level. The strength of it swelled, felt deep in the chest of anyone who was listening, which was nearly the whole party by this point.

"_The albatross is flying, making him daydream_

_The time before he became – one of the world's unseen_

_Princess in the tower, children in the fields_

_Life gave him it all: an island of the universe"_

_"Now his love's a memory, a ghost in the fog_

_he sets the sails one last time saying farewell to the world_

_Anchor to the water, seabed far below_

_Grass still in his feet and a smile beneath his brow._"

By this time, all the Dunmer were singing, both living and not. Their voices created a beat all its own, directing the instruments to following them instead of the other way around. The world narrowed in, transfixed on their song.

"_This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world_

_Horizon's crying the tears he left behind long ago"_

_"So long ago…"_

_"So long ago..."_

_"This is for long-forgotten light at the end of the world_

_Horizon's crying the tears he left behind so long ago._"

Dusty wasn't the only baby the song was soothing to. Cattie-Brie held back a laugh as her own tired, fussy baby calmed, then dropped off to sleep in her arms.

Veleth handed his soundly sleeping child to Dreyla and turned to Nevano, fully intending on paying him back for that.

Nevano had been flipping the fork in his hand, waiting for this exact moment. He threw the fork at Veleth's head. Veleth ducked, nearly falling over. By the time he recovered his balance, Nevano had disappeared.

He reappeared, laughing madly, by Serana and Ravenlight.

Serana giggled and kissed him. "Don't expect me to save you from the consequences of your actions _every_ time, my love."

Nevano seemed to purr under her attention. "The Bull is an easy one. Strong as a werewolf and blunter than a brick. Hilarious considering his parents..." He took her hand. "But we entertained everyone!"

"You did. And I think more than just Dreyla will thank you for it."

He laughed again. "I don't know what it is about that song that sends the tiny ones off to sleep. Was the _only_ thing that worked when Veleth was little. Part time anyway."

Serana giggled. "You might have to tell me about him when he's small. I think I'd like to hear these stories."

The mischievous grin came back. "Oh I have _lots_ of stories for you!"

"Though probably not as many as I do about _him_." A spirit's gruff voice came.

Instantly Nevano's smile dropped and he spun around. Serana could feel his pulse going wild under her hand where she gripped him.

Ravenlight rose from where she'd been seated. "Oreyn, I presume?"

He wasn't much taller than Nevano but looked as if he could have easily beaten Veleth or Farkas without breaking much of a sweat. Even as a spirit his eyes, like the rest of him, were hard as rock...except when he looked at Nevano. He inclined his head at Ravenlight. "We've spoken before."

"I was hoping you'd listen." She smiled. "Drelasa wanted you here very much."

"It took some doing but she and Jorun were already looking. Made things easier." He nodded.

Nevano was shaking a bit, gripping Serana's hand tight. "I didn't...I didn't think..."

Ravenlight draped her arm around him. "Didn't think we'd ask your foster father to come?"

"No..."

"Heh, not a title we ever used." Oreyn said in amusement. "Usually called each other things like 'brat' or 'old goat'."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Ravenlight grinned. "We ran into Parwen in Skingrad."

"I'm sure she managed to mention goblin hunting no less than thirty six times." Oreyn grumbled.

"Three or four. And gushing over my armor." Ravenlight laughed. "Though it _is_ true goblins wouldn't be able to do much to it, as it was made with dragons in mind."

"Entire guild hall...worthless." That made Nevano laugh. It was...so _normal_. So like home it hurt. And so Oreyn.

"He didn't take us by there on our little tour of Chorrol, so I really can't speak for the rest of them."

"You met Parwen. You essentially met them all." Oreyn groused.

"If it makes you feel any better, I preferred Parwen to the _other_ person we met in Skingrad." Ravenlight grimaced. "If Gyrmallion hadn't stepped in..."

"The only reason that dumb vampire is alive is because he lives in a blasted castle." Nevano snickered as Oreyn warmed to his grumbling. "I don't think he's seen outside the walls in two hundred years. I'm shocked he ever noticed the damned Oblivion Gates!"

"Practically hit him over the head with what's going on, and he sniffed." Ravenlight shook her head. "And you know...he wasn't blatant about it at all, but I think Gyrmallion was actually rude to him. Sugar-coated it beautifully, but..."

"I'm surprised they let you in." Oreyn said flatly. "After all the trouble _this one_ has ever caused." He sounded furiously proud.

"Might not do it again, as he continued the tradition as we were leaving." Ravenlight squished Nevano a little closer.

Nevano grinned.

"I suppose enough time has passed they quit looking out for him at the gates." Oreyn sighed. "After the bell tower incident..."

"Bell tower incident?" Serana glanced at her new husband slyly.

Nevano's grin took on a slightly sheepish turn.

"I don't know _how_ he managed to do it but he got up in the bell tower, muffled the bell and put a flock of chickens under it." Oreyn said flatly. "When they rang the bell an hour later, it scared the chickens and instead of the sound of a bell, all Skingrad heard was chickens screaming, echoing through the whole town since the bell made it echo."

Ravenlight's head thunked down on Nevano's shoulder. "Gods _above_, I am not looking forward to you meeting Sparrowwing!"

"Every day was something." Oreyn shook his head. "No one in the guild minded the pranks. We were just glad he wasn't biting anymore."

"Ahh you're bringing that up." Nevano made a face.

"I'm going to assume this wasn't because he was so starved he was delirious and having to be fed little bites of bread-soaked wine by hand?" Ravenlight grinned. "Vas told me that getting me fed the first time was like feeding a starving wild kitten, only my teeth were bigger."

"No, that was the easy part. He was so starved he couldn't move." Oreyn said. "Later. When he got his strength back. Angry little child. As you said. Starving wild kitten but he bit anything that got too close."

Nevano groaned, his ears burning red.

"Might explain why he fell for me," Serana said brightly, pressing a little against his side. "Though, admittedly, I don't bite anymore."

Nevano, still making embarrassed noises, put an arm around her and held her to his side.

Oreyn's eyes definitely went softer and a small smile cracked the hardness of his face. "Undoubtedly the brat has some remark to make on that."

"Several, actually." Nevano admitted.

"She'd probably like to hear them," Ravenlight murmured. She squashed him one more time. "I'll let you admit it more or less in private. Looks like someone's had a little too much party..." She moved off.

Oreyn watched her go. "I'm happy for the both of you. It's not often I see two people fit together so well."

Nevano smiled and looked at Serana. "I...didn't ever think I could ever be so lucky. Didn't think someone like me could find someone so perfect."

She squeezed his hand tightly, smiling, her eyes starting to get brighter.

"Yet here you both are." Oreyn said. "I'm proud of you, boy. You fought hard to get here. Keep fighting that hard for her."

"Always." Nevano said. "For however long we got left."

"That might be another several thousand years." Oreyn said. "No matter how long, I'll be sure to check on you every now and then. Not sure the world is ready for both of you together."

"Ready or not...here we come." Nevano grinned.

Ravenlight returned, Connlach draped limply across her shoulder. "I'm about to round up my lot and get them home, and Drelasa has promised to move everyone else back to Windstad as the party starts slacking off. Serana, this means Proudspire Manor will be empty. Jordis is here, and I'm going to tell her it's all right for the pair of you to use it tonight." She winked and headed off.

"Boy...try not to destroy it." Oreyn said. He inclined his head to Serana. "Good fortune and good luck. You'll need the luck with this trouble maker. I shall be sure to say goodbye before we are called back. You have others who wish to talk to you."

Serana blinked, surprised. "To...me? I know there were others to talk to Nevano, but...to me?"

"Of course they do, girl!" Oreyn chuckled. "They are eager to meet the one who is willing to put up with this brat!"

She couldn't help giggling at that; though she leaned over and kissed him again right after. Nevano melted, a goofy grin on his face. Oreyn rolled his eyes and moved off.

* * *

True to his word, several others came forward, all eager to meet her. Most were Fighters Guild members. Two very enthusiastic brothers that reminded Serana of Vilkas and Farkas, called Viranus and Vitellus. One woman, Sabine, was thrilled and warned them to not lose these knives! That, Nevano explained, was due to a personalized knife she had made him that landed him in prison. An orc, Burz, laughed and tried to slap Nevano on the back, making the much smaller mer gasp as if he had jumped into an icy lake.

After them, came others. Several Ashlanders came up, including a girl smaller than Nevano, who he seemed thrilled to see. Despite being trapped in the rebuilt Heart of Lorkhan briefly, Zula was free now, something Nevano had worried about constantly.

Two Ashlanders came forward, the others parting away for them. Nevano bowed to them. "This...is Sul-Matuul and Nibani Maesa." He said to Serana. "They were the keepers of the Nerevarine Cult. And they guided me through all that mess."

Serana bowed deeply to them. "Drelasa told me of you-what she knew of you, anyway. It is a great honor to meet you."

Nibani smiled. "Child, it is wonderful to see how, no matter the state of the world, you prove just how much there is to fight for."

Sul-Matuul nodded in approval. "She has far better manners than you, Nerevarine."

"Send her on a wild goose chase like you did me and I'll show you bad manners!" Nevano shot back.

"Can't be worse than hunting down the prophecy of the Tyranny of the Sun," Serana said quietly. "That was...not a wild-goose chase, but...awful all the same."

"Remind me to tell you about Kogoruhn." Nevano said. "We'll compare goose chase stories."

"We have a deal."

"There are many things I wish to tell you but now is not the time." Nibani said. "I will relay them when needed. Perhaps when you meet the God Listener. Today is a happy day of union and reunion. One wishes to speak to you but is having a hard time stepping up. She is over there. Go speak to the child." Nibani pointed to where several spirits seemed to be watching over one that was playing happily with the spirit of a dog.

"To the chi-" Serana looked over and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh." It was her turn to clutch at Nevano's hand for support. "Oh..." She almost seemed incapable of further speech.

He hugged her close. "I think I know who that is." He smiled. "Seems she's taken a shine to Mojo. She looks happy."

Serana swiped at her face. "She-she does." She swallowed hard, clearly plucking up her own courage to approach her sister.

Nevano gave her a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, lovely."

Almost clinging to him for support, Serana approached the little girl. The dog's spirit saw them first and barked happily; then she looked up and saw them.

She straightened, hesitated...then slowly took form and stepped forward. Almera was an exquisitely pretty girl, her features a younger version of Serana's own, her hair pulled back and braided down her back. No longer was she the terrified little shade who had huddled in the shadows of the Undercroft, bruised and bloodied, wearing nothing but the torn rags she had died in. The bruises were gone; her clothing was a long and graceful robe, unstained and undamaged.

The spirits stepped back, giving them some privacy but stayed close, all insanely protective. Mojo pressed close to her.

Serana stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Almera?"

"Serana!" She ran up the last few steps, Mojo glued to her knelt, holding out her arms. "Almera! I-oh, it's good to see you again!"

Some distance away, in the shadows, the dark-cloaked form of Valerica stood, her hand pressed over her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she watched.

Almera tried to hug her but spirits couldn't touch the living. She giggled from behind Serana.

Serana turned to face her again, laughing through her tears. She reached out, this time cupping the space where her sister's face was. "You're okay," she whispered. "You're really okay."

"Yeah! I've made new friends too!"

"I'm glad." She blinked, then sniffed, wiping her face. "I'm-I'm so glad to hear that. I've...I've missed you."

"I've missed you too but you made new friends too!"

"I have." Serana glanced back at Nevano. "More than I ever dreamed."

He smiled at her, giving her a squeeze.

"I'm glad you came," Serana told her sister. "I'm glad everything is...well with you."

"I was asked to! And I'm okay. My new friends said I can stay with them!"

"Good," Serana said. "I'm glad for that. I am...glad beyond words for that." She rose, trying to run her hands through her sister's hair. "Thank you for coming, Almera."

"Happy wedding!...did I say that right?"

"Perfectly." Nevano murmured.

There was no pressure to her arms: but she wrapped them around Serana for a moment anyway, before she stepped back and faded, her new friends taking her back among them.

Serana wiped the side of her face one last time, leaning against Nevano.

"She's well looked after with this lot. And they even gave her a puppy. A...large one. That steals sweetrolls."

"Oooh, more stories, then?" She nuzzled against him. "Mmm...shall we make the rounds one last time through the crowd...then slip off? Proudspire isn't that far away, and I'd like to...hear these stories in private."

"I'm sure I can get creative in how I tell them." Nevano grinned suggestively.

"I'd like that," she whispered, her eyes briefly hooding.

"I do want to know though..." Nevano said slowly. "Who is the massive dragon? I don't recognize him."

"Hmm?" Serana glanced over in the direction indicated. Several young men, just drunk enough to be both brave and foolish, were tossing chunks of meat up to him; he was indulging them-and himself-by snapping them out of the air. "Oh; that's Paarthurnax, the leader of the Greybeards. He's Ravenlight's friend...and a bit of a mentor, as well. Normally he doesn't leave the Throat of the World, but what happened after the vampires attacked Windstad got him interested. He came back a day or two ago to make sure we were all right; Drizzt told him about the wedding then, and he agreed to come and keep an eye on things."

She paused. "That's right, I just remembered: Drizzt said that Ravenlight wanted you to meet him."

"I remember her mentioning him. He's enormous..." Nevano breathed. "Let's go say hi? Before those idiots throw something they shouldn't."

"They shouldn't be that stupid. There are still a lot of dragons that aren't friendly." She took his hand and strode forward. "But you're right, best to head off any trouble. All right, you lot: go find some other way to cause trouble." She stopped in front of the Wall and smiled up at him. "Hello, Paarthurnax. This is Nevano."

"_Drem Yol Lok_," the dragon rumbled, looking him over. "Intriguing...you have the scent of one who knows ages untold; though I am unfamiliar with that area of the world. There is far more to you than meets the eye."

"Ah, heh, that might be Nerevar." Nevano ran a hand through his hair. "Never thought something could smell him."

"I have lived long upon the _Monahven_, beside the _Tiid-Ahraan_. The winds brought news of the world below; but only in scents that the careful could discern." Paarthurnax regarded him. "You, I deem, have walked a harder path than many; and have a long path yet to tread."

"At least it won't be alone." Nevano said.

"No, it will not be." Paarthurnax smiled; somehow a less terrifying sight than Kriifaadneh had been. "_Krien-Kogaan Mon Vulom_; her path, too, has been hard, and will be long. It is very good that your paths have joined."

"Won't let us be alone again," he said, twining his fingers with Serana's.

"_Geh._" Paarthurnax bowed his head to them. "_Bormahu kogaan nau aav miiraad'iil_, Nerevarine, _Mon Vulom._ The _Monahven_ will ever be open to you."

Nevano smiled. He had no idea what the dragon said but he could understand the meaning behind it. "Thank you. Really...thank you."

Paarthurnax smiled again. "We will meet again, and speak longer," he promised.

Nevano nodded. "I have a feeling we will."

* * *

It was growing late; the sun beginning to slide down in the west. Families with children had started leaving, some of them coming up to give a last congratulations to the bride and groom before gathering up their tired, and sometimes cranky, offspring, and heading back home. Some folk had drunk enough to slump down wherever they landed, snoring softly.

Jorun came up to them with Oreyn. "Our time here is coming to an end, unfortunately." Jorun said. "Even Azura can't keep us here indefinitely...and the twins drank too much. Drelasa can't keep that portal open by herself."

"Ah...the part I was looking forward to not at all." Nevano said.

"For us as well." Jorun said.

"Thank you for coming," Serana said. "It was lovely to meet you. And...thank you so much for bringing Almera."

"My pleasure. On all accounts." Jorun smiled. "I'll keep watch on her. I intended to keep her close but the Fighters have taken a wonderful shine to her. She will be well looked after."

"Jorun, I..." Nevano chewed his lip. "All this, all you did..."

"Would be something I'd do no matter what, living or dead." Jorun smiled widely. "Look, today I got to watch my best friend get married. I also got to be with my wife and meet my grandson truly for the first time. I watched three factions who normally do _not_ get along dance together, with a dragon watching over them. The living and the dead were reunited for a day. Today was possibly one of the best days I can recollect...other than marrying _my_ wife and the day my son was born. Save the words you are tripping over. It was all...more than worth it."

Serana wrapped her arms around Nevano's shoulder and smiled. "Yes," she said quietly. "It...it really was."

"I will see you two soon. Still far more to come. If you need me sooner, just ask Drelasa." He smiled warmly at them and left, rounding up the other spirits and herding them towards the portal.

"Well, boy, I'd say the same, but you don't even try to summon." Oreyn said with a small smile.

"Every time I tried I got that homicidal maniac." Nevano frowned. "Summoning like that only works-"

"For family. I'm aware." Oreyn gave an exasperated huff. "I swear, some days I wonder if you got hit in the head too many times. You are _mine_, boy. You need help, summon."

It took a moment for the full impact of that statement to sink in. When it finally did, Nevano felt as if the ground was shifting under his feet.

"It is time to go." Oreyn said. "Serana, if he acts up too much, I'll happily slap him upside the head for you. Hopefully it won't be a hundred years before he gets the courage to try to summon." He started to leave. "And congratulations to both of you. I'm very proud of you."

"_Ata_." Nevano finally found his tongue. Oreyn's form wavered a bit from shock. "I was a fool to have never said it before. Though I suppose better late than never. I will see you soon, _ata_. We have so much more to do."

Dusk fully settled and the portal beckoned all the spirits back in before closing behind them. But not before a single word echoed back.

"_Julekil_."

Nevano hugged Serana to him. "I think it's time we left as well."

She nodded, trembling a little with sudden excitement. "I know where to go; and if Ravenlight said we can have it for the night, then we're good!"

"Oh good. I hope it's close." Nevano leaned over and kissed her along her jawline. "Because I've been thinking of how to get you out of that gown for _hours_ now."

"In Solitude." She ran her fingers across his face. "Not that far away at all." She glanced back at him, her eyes almost like burned-low coals. "And I," she murmured, her voice dropping to a breathy purr, "have been wondering the quickest way to get you out of that armor without ruining the work Ravenlight put into it."

He smirked widely, his heart rate going wild. "Let's go see if I can slither out of this as fast as I was shoved into it."

She clasped his hand, grinning broadly. "Come on," she said. "I'll show the way to the manor."

"Manor? Oh this just gets better." Nevano laughed. "Lead on, sweet tooth."

* * *

Proudspire Manor proved to be past the second gate of Solitude, and in the grander part of the city. A few lights glowed in the windows; but aside from a blonde Nord woman in steel armor sitting in a small room off the entrance, no one was there. She glanced up and raised an eyebrow when they came in, but simply smiled and went back to her book as they went past.

"Woah..." Nevano whistled, glanced around. "Well, hopefully we won't mess up too much of it."

"I have my own room," Serana said. "Up this way. If we break anything in there..." her eyes flashed, "well...it's all replaceable."

"Sweet tooth, I want the neighbors down the street to be scandalized." Nevano scooped her up. "Which door?"

"Second past the stairs, on the right." She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on.

Nevano happily carried her up, nearly bouncing.

As they went through the correct door, Serana twisted slightly in his arms to make sure it closed behind them.

Firmly.


	33. Council of War

**Council of War**

The next morning, everyone was waking up in places that weren't necessarily their beds...or if they were in bed, with little recollection of how they got there.

Windstad Manor was no different. The few who remembered how they'd gotten home were, by and large, the ones who'd left early; typically the ones with children who had stopped enjoying the party. This included Ravenlight, Drizzt and Cattie-Brie, and even Dreyla...though Veleth probably wouldn't remember how he'd made it home for about a week.

Drelasa and Elealda remembered as well, the two women having made sure that they didn't over-indulge, mainly because they knew that someone was going to have to take care of all the hangovers the following morning!

Dreyla was giggling as Dusty crawled on his father's back and bounced, laughing right in his ear, making Veleth groan in agony. It kinda served him right. She had _struggled_ getting that damned black armor off his hide!

* * *

Outside, Farkas had no clue how he ended up inside his tent. He remembered having a grand time drinking and sharing stories with the Fighters' spirits and challenging the twins to an arm wrestling contest as well as dancing with Nevusa...but not much else after. It apparently included more drinking, as his head throbbed. Though two things stood out over his pounding head...the bare, grey-skinned arm and leg that were thrown over him, attached to a very warm body at his back. He turned slightly to see Nevusa snuggled up behind him. She wasn't wearing much...and it was still spring, so nights were cold.

She would be cold!

He turned slightly, scooped her into his arms, and turned back over, snuggling her close. There. Now she would be warm. He might have been mistaken but he could have sworn he heard purring. He sleepily nuzzled into her hair. She smelled really good.

She smiled in her sleep, nuzzling him. Not to brag, but that Telvanni bug musk lasted a loooong time.

The tent flap opened, spilling a shaft of light inside. Farkas grunted as the light hit the corner of his eye and turned over a little more to avoid it, careful not to squash his nice-smelling girl under him.

"Farkas?" Vilkas poked his head in. "It's mor-oh, Shor's bones. Not _again_. Put on the amulet and get her to the temple already, would you?"

Nevusa didn't bother waking up. She was warm and surrounded by the hefty scent of her wolf. An extra voice didn't bother her...even though, now that Farkas was waking up a bit more, she was wearing closer to 'nothing' than 'something'

"Mmmph. Go away," Farkas grumbled. "You're loud."

"I'll be louder if you make me use Tilma's method of getting you up," Vilkas threatened. "Come on. Both of you. And get your clothes on. There was something the Harbinger and her new pet Thalmor, or whatever they're calling themselves, wanted to talk to us about after the wedding. Get up and get some food."

"Do it and I'll tell my brother you insulted his armor." Nevusa murmured into Farkas' chest.

"Already did. During our sparring matches. Come on, or I will get that pot."

Nevusa muttered something in Dunmeri that they didn't understand but knew it wasn't overly polite.

"Warned you..." Vilkas's voice trailed off as he backed out of the tent.

Nevusa waved a hand. There was a small pop and a cat howled in outrage. "Warned who?" She muttered with a wicked grin.

"He won't like that," Farkas murmured. "But I do."

The cat's angry yowls moved into the distance. A few moments later, a door opened, then closed.

Nevusa giggled. "I won't leave him yowling for long. No need for hungover _and_ grumpy." She turned her head. "Oh I think he's tattled on us."

Farkas blinked. "Is that bad?" He lifted his head to listen.

The door opened again and steps came out, not heading toward the tent...but toward the beach.

"Yup. That's salt water they are getting." She sat up and stretched, the thin linen sliding almost completely off.

"Oh." Farkas sat up instantly, eyes wide. "Salt water gets _cold_ when she's mad. We better get up." He paused, looking at her, and a slight blush stained his cheeks. "You're really pretty."

She smiled, her sunburst eyes ready to set him ablaze. "And all yours." He grinned broadly, starting to lean forward.

Then a voice spoke outside the tent. "Farkas and Nevusa, you have thirty seconds to get dressed and get out here. And Nevusa, turn Vilkas back now."

"We're up. I'll change him back when I get inside." Nevusa said a bit peevishly.

"Good. Now come on."

Nevusa growled a bit at the interruption. "All of them...I swear."

"I should run off and take you to the temple," Farkas agreed. "Bet they're not waking up Nevano and Serana."

"I sincerely doubt they are even here." Nevusa laughed. "If we see them in the next day or so, I'll be surprised. I'm fairly certain Nevano will be able to pace himself for _days_."

"They're in Proudspire Manor for precisely that reason," Ravenlight said outside the tent. "Countdown is still going, you two."

"Honeymoon destination, got it." Nevusa didn't bother with armor. She simply pulled on whatever was closest. In this case, it was a shirt of Farkas'. "Probably best. He might throw something at any _interruptions_ otherwise. Even something dangerous, like Moon-and-Star."

"After Cyrodiil, I promise we'll leave you alone for a week," Ravenlight said coolly. "Before then, you don't get that privilege. Come on."

Farkas groaned and pulled on a pair of pants, not bothering to look for a shirt. Nevusa managed to find hers and crawled out, forgoing boots to go barefoot.

Ravenlight gave their choice of garb a slightly raised eyebrow, but didn't say anything as they came out. "Come on," she said. "We've got breakfast going inside, and this is important. At the very least, the Circle needs to hear this, along with the ones already inside."

Nevusa muttered under her breath and she gingerly picked her way to the house. "Better be good. What's so special about fecking Cyrodiil anyway?"

Ravenlight glanced at her with a smile, but didn't say anything...just yet.

* * *

The main room of the manor was warm, smelling delicious, and crowded. Only a few of those present did not look headachey and bleary-eyed; those were also the ones not nursing cups of an odd-smelling substance.

Veleth was one of those who looked as though he wished he were still asleep...or dead. He was missing his shirt as well, one leg slightly bouncing Dusty who was drooling and babbling, hiccuping a bit.

"What happened to you?" Nevusa asked.

"Baby decided to spit up all over me." Veleth rumbled. "What happened to you?"

"I made things howl." She snapped her fingers and the cat changed back into Vilkas. He glowered at her, but said nothing with Farkas looming over her protectively.

"Uh huh..." Veleth rolled his eyes.

"You shut it. Like Dreyla doesn't lay claim to half your clothing." Nevusa clutched her new shirt possessively.

"Can't deny that...though now I need to find new ones." Dreyla said. "Stupid demon..."

"I'll take you over to the Radiant Raiment later today," Ravenlight said. "First, though...I think we all need to know precisely what we're going up against. We found more than we expected traveling to retrieve the Heart of the Empire."

She nodded to Gyrmallion, who put down his cup and stood. "First, we discovered that we're facing a greater danger from Oblivion than a few mortal conjurers calling them up a few at a time. Glimmosven Island was under all-out assault, both from Thalmor and from Daedra, with a creature apparently called a xivkyn leading them.

"According to Nevano, who found and closed the circle, they had..." he hesitated, "an unwilling victim powering it. He was bound over the circle, limbs slashed to let his blood fall onto it. When enough blood collected, the circle would open again, release a handful of daedra, and close until fueled again by more blood."

"Bloody hell..." Veleth muttered.

Gyrmallion took a deep breath. "While I was fighting the xivkyn, it taunted me, calling me 'traitor'. I responded by saying that I cannot be a traitor to a cause that had already thrown me out to die...which is when it told me that my kind had...already all been promised to its 'Master'." His hand clenched. "Rumalashorn has promised the Thalmor, and possibly all the Altmer, to Molag Bal."

"Xivkyn?" Veleth asked, his mind not quite working at its usual speed. "And wait...wait _what?_"

"He did _what_?!" Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas all spoke at the same time, and in the same voice of horror. "That's-that's worse than what the Glenmoril witches did to the Companions!"

"Or even Potema!" Vilkas looked as though he was about to be sick. "She might have been going to sacrifice all Solitude-but she didn't promise them all of _Skyrim_!"

Even Zak looked shaken, and Cattie-Brie automatically clutched at Drizzt.

"One doesn't just _promise_ a whole people!" Nevusa burst out. "He can't do that!...can he?"

"He did." Drelasa said. "And if Molag Bal succeeds, he'll have the power to actually do it."

The other Altmer looked as though they weren't sure whether they wanted to swear, vomit, or pass out, not that anyone could blame them.

"The one silver lining in that," Ravenlight said grimly, "is that once the Thalmor hear about _that_, they'll have incentive to rebel and become Chii Chare. The only ones we'll really have to worry about are the genuine fanatics-unless, of course, Sirinalda knows about this and has been pulling some chicanery of her own, which I somehow don't doubt."

"If there's two working against each other...it'll prove the division and the reason to split." Drelasa said. "On the other hand, it'll be...messy. Very, very messy. Even if we stop Molag Bal...oh this will be hard to untangle."

"It's the sort of tangle you almost have to cut with a knife." Ahmetia looked sick. "Only how to cut it without harming the innocents in the way...because I know that Molag Bal _won't_ merely content himself with the Thalmor warriors. He'll be wanting the innocents."

"It's knowing where he'll strike is the thing." Drelasa paced. "As if this whole war didn't have enough fronts..."

"They're in High Rock, I know that," Ravenlight mused, leaning against the table. "But at the same time, the vampires squabbling over the Armor of Wrath are probably...insignificant right now. He's _got_ the beacon; he's had it for centuries, probably. I wouldn't be surprised if this promise of Rumalashorn's coincides with the Mistress's ability to reach the Thalmor and tempt them with an artifact in the ruins of Doomcrag-not to mention reach the vampires across Tamriel. He's going to _strike_ somewhere else. Somewhere preemptive."

"Yes...we need to leave soon. We can't wait much longer." Drelasa said. "Today we need to prepare to leave. Those of you hung over...you have an hour or so." She looked over them. "If that drink doesn't work, take a shot, vomit in a bush and push through the headache."

Veleth looked at Dusty. "You went straight to step two, _julekil_." Dusty gurgled happily, shoving his wet, sticky hands in Veleth's face.

Drelasa smiled. "Mostly it's the children. They are attacking the most vulnerable. It makes me very nervous."

Ravenlight nodded. "I don't like the idea of taking the children into a war zone; but in this case, surrounded by warriors is the safest place for them. We'll go to Whiterun first. The Jarls are already on the move, and we'll meet with the army there, give them the situation , and send them toward High Rock. The rest of us will head for the Imperial City to return Ahmetia and her children to her father, and request the assistance of the Imperial Legions." She glanced over at Nevusa. "By the way, you were wondering what would be so special about Cyrodiil?"

"Yes because you've been glancing sideways and giggling like when you were talking about—" she cut herself off, freezing.

"Can't take credit for the idea this time," Ravenlight said, nodding to Ahmetia. "Suffice it to say, your family will be _screaming_, but there won't be anything they can do about it."

"Faster than her sire, that's for sure!" Drelasa laughed.

Nevusa stared straight ahead for several long moments. Then she launched herself at Ahmetia, hugging her tightly.

Ahmetia hugged her back. "I know the Hlervus, dear," she whispered in her ear. "And I will take _great_ pleasure in helping you foil whatever plans they have for you!"

"If you knew the man they picked, you'd probably have tried to do a double wedding yesterday." Nevusa said. "Farkas makes _him_ invisible in every way."

"Oh, I believe it. Certainly considering who they chose for your mother." She shook her head. "I met them, shortly after my own wedding; Sorosi told me about you, and I remember wondering how on earth such a...bland, _stodgy_ creature as her husband could have produced the vibrant child she was describing!" She smirked. "Of course, then you and Nevano arrived at the island...I didn't put two and two together until you were grumbling about your family, but I must say, the relationship is fairly obvious."

"I think if Nevano thought it was even possible I was even a glimmer of a chance...I don't think he would have gone to see my mother that one last time." Nevusa shrugged. "As it was, because it was thought to be impossible, my obvious origin was...not spoken of publicly. Privately, we didn't quite get along. This is a final attempt to get me in line."

"Which is why I suggested this." Ahmetia smiled. "Get married here, and they'll sniff and shake their heads, saying you ran off to some barbarian outpost; and some of the worst probably won't accept it as a valid marriage. On the other hand, running off to the Temple of the One in the Imperial City for a grand wedding with half the city-and even better, the Emperor himself-present..."

"And not even the Arobars can deny it." Nevusa smiled.

"I think I even know where to get a high ranking Morrowind official to put the final seal on things." Drelasa fairly purred. "If Ravenlight is alright in helping with that. Should make our trip to the Imperial City _very_ interesting."

"Chances are good I wouldn't mind at all." Ravenlight grinned, giving the breakfast pot one last stir. "All right everyone, breakfast is ready. Get some food and then get ready because we've got a long way to go today."

"Ah, Gyrmallion, darling." Drelasa paused beside him for a moment. "While the news is very dire...it is not hopeless. We will search for answers and solutions here, but you were very clever in setting Jorun's nose twitching. Knowing him, he was off searching the moment he went back through the portal."

He looked up at her and managed to smile. "Ravenlight did say something...odd, right after the xivkyn told me that. About...that was why Akatosh sent his Daughter to help us."

"What was promised is not something that can be given." Drelasa nodded. "It will make _every_ god take notice. I'm hoping Jorun can get the inherent jealousy that reigns in the Daedra Lords stirred up enough they refuse to help an already promised people, even actively turn against them. The Aedra even are being obvious in their disdain. We are just going to find a way to render the promise null."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"I will alert you as soon as Jorun tells me something." She promised.

"In the meantime..." Ravenlight stepped over, handing them both a steaming plate, "we are going to get the word out in every way possible. Dismas and Serethal were at Nevano's wedding, the head of the Thieves' Guild and his wife. Before I left, I told _them_ what we'd found out, and asked them to start getting the rumors spread. Dismas is a favorite of Nocturnal and if there's anyone who takes greater pleasure in the flight of rumors than her, I don't know who that would be. It'll be across Skyrim and getting out and into the rest of the Empire before we cross the border."

"Good. Let's hope it goes beyond that too." Drelasa accepted the plate gratefully.

"Once the Armigers know..."

"Oh, they have a good idea by now." Drelasa smiled.

"Good." Ravenlight exhaled. "I don't know if Paarthurnax is planning on coming with us, but Odahviing definitely is. And one of the reasons I will _have_ to speak with the army at Whiterun is because there will be ten other dragons accompanying them, and it will be imperative that they know these are allies."

"I'd say that warrants a fair warning." Veleth muttered.

"You. Eat." Nevusa pointed a fork at him.

"I'd rather not see it twice." Veleth said. "What is with you and Nevano and the thrice-damned forks?"

"That concoction you should have been drinking already will help with the nausea," Ravenlight said. "And yes, it certainly does need warning. There are two Elder dragons among them-and a Revered. Admittedly, in the past, _any_ dragons were bad news, but those particular kind..."

"To explain further," Drizzt said wryly, "The one she called to take you to that island was an Elder dragon."

"The one Nevano fed a herd of cows to." Nevusa giggled.

Gyrmallion shuddered. "Yes. That was...almost as bad as that one up in High Rock grabbing that vampire three feet away from us." Drizzt put a sympathetic hand on Gyrmallion's shoulder, knowing exactly what he meant.

"He didn't mean for it to eat them _all_." Nevusa shook her head. "Greedy thing. And it was repayment. He really thought it would be a quick grab and go...sorry." She shrugged a bit sheepishly.

"Promising a dragon that much meat...you can bet it's going to take as much of it as possible." Ravenlight glanced over at the Altmer, her own eyes sympathetic. She also knew what was going through their minds, having been a little too close to slamming dragon jaws herself a time or two.

"I asked Nevano what possessed him to do that." Nevusa said. "He said he promised it so Krii, as he called him, wouldn't kill the one above the portal. Said the dragon wasn't in the mood to be nice so he promised the cattle in exchange to be gentle. Apparently gently hitting a tree qualified."

"I may need to talk to Nevano about _not_ giving dragons nicknames..." Ravenlight muttered. "And I thought I'd heard something odd from that direction, not that I was paying attention. One word of that Shout _is_ considerably gentler than what else he could have done. With the right power behind them, all three words can actually turn something to dust."

Gyrmallion went white. "In that case, I am _more_ than grateful it just chose to throw him into a tree."

"See if you can't give him a general term to use." Drelasa sighed. "Before he gets creative. If he deems it too complicated, he won't try."

"I'll see if I can't come up with something." Ravenlight shook her head. "'_Kriifaadneh_' means 'Undying Heat'. 'Krii' just means 'Death', or 'Killing'." She looked over at Gyrmallion. "And that man...that was your cousin, wasn't it? Yeah, he'll recover from what happened _much_ faster than he might have otherwise."

"I'd say write it down but...futile." Veleth said. "Good thing he remembered about Shout intensity _before_ he asked the dragon for help."

"I think even Nevano would remember that the best thing to call a dragon whose name he can't remember is '_Dovah_'," Ravenlight said dryly.

"You have to remember this is the same smart-ass who looked Vivec square in the eye and called him...you get the idea." Veleth said. "We'll drill it in his head."

"Have Serana tell him," Cattie-Brie suggested, smirking.

Veleth mirrored the smirk. "I can get used to doing that."

"All right." Ravenlight clapped her hands. "Everybody, eat up. We've got a long way to go, and not much time to do it in."


	34. The Road to Whiterun

**The Road to Whiterun**

It took slightly more than an hour to finally get everyone ready to move. Moving children, it seemed, required more logistics than moving an army, especially since one of the children involved could not reasonably walk for much more than a mile or three without dropping, and two of them could not walk at all. Especially since one of the non-walking children complained loudly about being tied on to his mother.

A cart was found-where, no one really wanted to ask-and the three mothers loaded the back with supplies, as well as blankets, a few toys for the younger children, and arranging the crates and barrels so that there was a safe spot in the middle for the smallest ones to get down and move when they wanted.

Dreyla chose to ride, as did Blaise and Lucia. The two older children were given a pair of staffs, just in case; though a fairly heavy guard of Companions suggested it might not be needed. Drelasa was sure to grab Nevano's many-patched bag and the weapons they had stripped him of.

There were very few, if any, mounts to go around, so by and large the group was walking. The most difficult part of this quickly proved to be trying to get through the marsh, though Gen and Sine went ahead as scouts to find the firmest path for the cart, and the mages of the group helped by freezing the softest places hard until it had gone past. Still, everyone was glad when Morthal came in sight after only a few hours; the ground became firmer almost at once, and there was, finally, a maintained road.

As the road climbed up over the mountains, Nevusa and Veleth got into a brief squabble over Nevusa wanting to turn him into a horse and Veleth heartily disagreeing to being her test subject. The bickering ended when Drelasa held up a handful of lightning. Both of them glanced at the puddles all around them and shut right up.

Ravenlight glanced at them. "We'll take a decently long rest once we're over the mountains. Morthal doesn't have horses for sale or hire, but Whiterun will. Don't worry; even with a slow-moving cart, Whiterun's not all that far away across the plains, and with an escort this size, nothing will attack us."

"I just wanted to see what he would look like as a horse." Nevusa said innocently.

Veleth growled something at her that sounded quite a bit like he would kick her in the head if she tried.

"Or maybe I'll just find a way to turn him into a donkey." She smirked. "He's already halfway an ass, it'll work perfectly."

"Donkey stallions are meaner than a sore-pawed bear that just had a run-in with a nest of hornets," said Kaelen. "Just...for future reference."

"Sounds like a bull kagouti!" Nevusa nudged her peeved brother. "Which, imagine that, is what we nicknamed him after."

Veleth rolled his eyes.

"I was never stationed in Morrowind, but I somehow doubt kagouti _bite_." He shook his arm as if in memory.

"Oof, you got the wrong end, sounds like." Nevusa nodded. "Kagouti _do_ bite. They are carnivores. Sharp teeth, long tusks, horns and they can headbutt someone across a field. Mean asses they are. Good mounts though...just use the cows, not the bulls."

"I got every end the damnable things _had_," Kaelen grumbled. "They weren't carnivores, at least; made it easier to feed them. Though seeing what one of them could do to a wolf would make you wonder."

"Kaelen was one of the packmasters," Gyrmallion said wryly. "Donkeys and mules are better across rough terrain than horses, which he prefers."

"I've only met a mule once." Nevusa said. "I couldn't tell you if it was a good pack animal or not. I can tell you the darn things are delicious."

"_Not_ the word I would have used," all the Altmer, save Nerrion, said at the same time.

"Probably not..." Nevusa laughed.

"Tough and stringy was more like it." Tellindil said. "Though it beat goblin-not to mention _starving_."

"Ah, see, you didn't have kwama cuttle to put on it!" Nevusa said.

"Might have been nice," said Elealda dryly. "What happened was, about five years into the war, we were in a regiment led by an absolute _idiot_ who seemed to believe all of Tamriel was like the nicest parts of Summerset. I can't even remember now _why_ he decided we should go through the mountains at the start of winter, only that he did."

"Oh, no." Nevusa slapped a hand to her face.

"As it turned out," Gyrmallion continued, his eyes darkening, "the locals in that area measure snowfall in _feet_, not inches. It was increasingly difficult going, but it looked like we were going to make it-until something touched off an avalanche in the higher peaks near where we were traveling. Half the regiment-including the commander-was wiped out. The rest of us made it into a cave system barely in time. This was about fifty soldiers, and a number of animals. We were stuck in that damn cave all winter, and wound up having to slaughter and eat all the animals before they or we starved."

"Well, that's the best thing to do in a starvation situation. Not a good spot to be in there. Doubt that commander would know what to do once his belly started growling." Nevusa said.

"So do I." He shook his head. "Once spring finally came, the snow melted enough that we were able to dig our way out. I'll...spare you the details of what we found out there. Suffice it to say there were wolves in the area."

"I can guess easily enough." Nevusa said. "Have more than a few horror stories from the field myself. Though mine usually involve angry lizards taller than Farkas and armed with poisoned weapons."

"We...made it a point to avoid Black Marsh," Elealda said. "Not that where we _did_ go was occasionally much better..."

"Drizzt, Serana and I were stuck for a few weeks in _Blackreach,_" Ravenlight said. "You want horror stories...try _Falmer_."

"I got one that will top _all_ of you." Veleth said. "Vvardenfell. Nevano and I faced the Thalmor there. We dropped several into a lava pool. Heart of Lorkhan was used and we turned around to watch the damned fetchers crawl back out again."

Gyrmallion shuddered. "That...I do _not_ know what Falcve was thinking when he sent that expedition to investigate rumors that it could be...remade."

"Could? Was." Veleth said. "I'll take Argonians and reavers over that again."

"We never actually knew if it had been or not," Elealda said slowly. "And I, in particular, was listening for rumors, because I'd dug a little into the stories of the Nerevarine when I heard what was going on, and was personally of the opinion that Falcve had dropped half of his mind down the _privy_ to think rebuilding it would be anything _close_ to a good thing."

"It...was _bad_." Veleth said. "We honestly wouldn't have known until it was too late but for two things. The first I'm loath to admit but it was a stupid rumor I at first dismissed that Dreyla's annoying father said, that Thalmor were poking around Vvardenfell. The one and only time he's been useful. The second...a piece of the Heart that had gotten lodged in Nevano's chest sent a wave of magic energy through him and damn near gave him a heart attack."

"We were able to stop it, through an extreme level of difficulty." Veleth continued. "The issue...really became the fact that Dagoth Ur's soul was attached to the remnants of the Heart. Even if we hadn't been there, the Thalmor would have all died because that monster would have wiped them out. Let me tell you, _none_ of the stories do Dagoth Ur justice. He's far, far, worse."

"They never do," Ravenlight said. "Miraak, the Volkihar, Alduin...and those are only the ones _I've_ met. Even when there _are_ stories of them-and there aren't always-they never manage to really convey how...terrible they are."

"With energy so bad around them it makes you vomit." Veleth agreed. "He tormented Nevano so bad with memories I thought I was going to lose him. In the end, there's no way to bring the Heart back. Same thing to destroy the Heart as before, only this time, Nevano threw Kagrenac's Tools at it and the whole thing fell into the lava pool. Whole place erupted around us. The only reason we didn't die is Uliamu's insane magic. The Ghost Fence she conjured surrounded us and kept us alive. All that's left of all that is a huge crater outside their tunnels."

"Alduin's power was...arrogance, and despair. He had a _tremendous_ presence about him that just made you feel..." She paused, trying to find the words.

"Tiny," Drizzt said. "Insignificant, even pitiful. Like a mouse trying to take on a lion."

"Shite...all too familiar." Veleth made a face. "That was Dagoth Ur. Makes you...doubt you can even leave a mark. Paralyzing."

"I don't blame the Greybeards for disliking the Dragonrend shout," Ravenlight continued. "But it was the only thing that...leveled the field on a _mental_ level. Joor. Saah. Frul. Mortal, finite, temporary. The only things, the only concepts that could be flung at him to...pull him down."

"It is a mental game with these beings. They fear someone dethroning them so they try to tear you apart first before physically attacking." Veleth said. "The first time Nevano faced Dagoth Ur, he had Nerevar with him. The second time, he didn't. Nerevar had been torn from him when he fought Helseth's lich. Dagoth Ur went right in on that and made him feel completely alone, beating all the feelings of abandonment and betrayal both he _and_ Nerevar ever felt."

Ravenlight looked over at Drizzt, who had almost stopped dead in his tracks. "Gods, _that_ sounds familiar. We faced a...a mage once, the Caller. She knew how to get into people's minds. She attacked me first, but the Dov kept her out. Drizzt, though..."

Cattie-Brie slipped up beside him, squeezing his hand tightly.

"I'd...recently lost all the friends I had from my old life," Drizzt said. "She found those memories, dragged them all up. Tried to make me believe Ravenlight...considered me a useful prop and nothing else."

Veleth rubbed at his forehead. "Very familiar. If you had said 'he' instead of 'she'..."

"The most unnerving part is, the Caller had learned her...techniques by studying vampires," Ravenlight said. "I don't know where the connection is, or if there even is one, but..."

"Dagoth Ur's followers were called Ash Vampires." Veleth said. "Not real vampires, but certainly knew how to sap every bit of warmth and good feeling out of you. The only reason we broke out of it...I remembered a snippet of a story my father had told me. Not everyone had abandoned Nerevar. There had been one left who stayed loyal until the day he died. It...helped break the hold enough for me to pull that rage up."

"Better than what finally broke her hold on Drizzt," Ravenlight said wryly.

"Didn't fully break the hold." Veleth shrugged. "It's been a year and it's still an annoying cloud sometimes. Can I ask how you did?"

"I don't remember this," Zak called from where he was walking.

"No, but it happened, same as you dragging me out of Alduin's mouth," Ravenlight replied. She glanced at Veleth. "What happened was my brother very nearly _died_. Took a poisoned Falmer dagger in the gut and went down, and while I got him to a safe place to heal him up, he wouldn't wake up." She blinked. "I was...crying my eyes out, because I thought I was going to lose him, and I hadn't told him yet I considered him my brother. But he finally woke up. I finally got him to tell me he'd been _in_ Sovngarde. The bridge guard stopped him, and then Zak came up, talked to him, and convinced him to come back."

Veleth nodded. "Drastic; but it sometimes takes drastic to break free fully. Very drastic. Glad you did."

"We all are." She glanced at him with a sly grin. Then she looked around. They'd been walking all that time, and were finally out of the mountains and getting down into the hills and plains of Whiterun Hold. "Let's get a little closer to the river, and we can all finally get some rest."

Veleth's ear twitched at the slight fussing of children and readily agreed. This was quite a bit for them.

* * *

The spot they picked was pleasant, and safe-at least, safe once the warriors had gone through and run off or killed the more agressive mudcrabs. The center of the river was deep, but there were plenty of shallow pools along the edge for a small child or baby to splash in, and the higher banks were grassy, and even warm in the spring noon. A ruined fortress not quite a quarter-mile distant had once been a notorious bandit haunt, and several shallow caves had been home to wolves or saber cats; but with the increased number of Companions at Jorrvaskr, those hadn't been a problem for months.

Nevusa stole a giggling Dusty to go dabble at the water, though making sure to deftly keep whatever he managed to pick up from going to his mouth. Veleth smiled a little, watching his baby play in the water. Drelasa watched the wind ripple the grasses across the plains, running her fingers through the taller tufts.

Cattie-Brie took Alustra and Connlach down to join Nevusa and Dusty, while Blaise and Lucia went a little further downriver to splash and paddle themselves. Zak and Drizzt stayed alert, remembering what had happened with the last hybrid of Molag Bal's; the Companions were alert for those as well, but also for any more mundane threat that might decide to make an appearance. Ravenlight seated herself on a large, sun-warmed boulder and just sat, at once alert for anything, and completely relaxed.

Veleth was turned as if he were watching the kids play but his head was partially turned, but in such a way that first glance wouldn't indicate he was doing anything else. Only his ears twitching gave away he was listening to something else.

Ravenlight suddenly lifted her head and opened her eyes, then stood on the boulder, peering toward the west. "Oh..." She bit off a word that sounded as though it might have been a curse. "Of course they'd be coming now."

"And they are?" Veleth asked, his shoulders tight.

"Blades." She hopped down off the boulder. "And Forsworn, but they're not the ones I'm worried about."

The look Veleth gave her told her to expand a bit.

"Delphine knows Gyrmallion. Nevano said he had some way to hopefully distract them and keep this from blowing up...but Nevano is currently not here. So."

"I think I know what he was going to do but it's nothing I can replicate." Veleth tilted his head. "However, if things escalate, I can take a page from his book. Won't be pretty and the kids might avoid me for a while but it'll leave a lasting impression of 'don't be an ass, get along'."

"Well, if it avoids me needing to rupture every eardrum for a mile Shouting, go for it." Ravenlight looked fairly grim. "Because it's either that or hiding him the whole way, and that won't work."

"Just tell Zak to try not to kill me for it." Veleth's eyes flashed briefly. "I won't let it get out of hand, I can promise that. And only if no one wants to be reasonable."

Ravenlight was already moving to alert the Chii Chare and Drizzt. She also stopped by Zak and warned him in an undertone that Veleth might be letting the rage beast loose, and he needed to keep Ebonarm under control if it happened.

She moved swiftly enough that, by the time the small army ahead of them was close enough to see them, she was the one in front; and the Chii Chare were very close to nowhere in sight.

Drelasa quietly moved so she was between her son and the small children, tiny little bits of lightning on the very tips of her fingers.

It was hard to tell which of the two saw Ravenlight first: the woman in dark armor, or the wild-looking older man beside her. Both instantly raised their hands to hail her, a gesture she returned.

Veleth was very careful to keep his eyes from flashing as they got closer, though he could feel the beast in the pit of his belly growling. He held tight to it. It would undoubtedly get its chance.

"Delphine!" she called. "Madanach."

"Dragonborn!" The two sped up and reached her before the others. Delphine bowed slightly to Ravenlight; Madanach did not bow, but there was decided respect in his eyes as he clasped her hand. "Unusual call you sent out."

"It was. And there's a reason for it." She glanced at the crowd behind them. "Esbern with you?"

Delphine laughed and shook her head. "He wasn't up to it. Staying with a few of the younger members back at the Temple. So. What's going on, then?"

Ravenlight waited for the others to get closer before she explained the situation, both in High Rock, and possibly elsewhere. She didn't bring up the towers, or the possible collapse of the Wheel, but she did explain that Molag Bal was clearly making a bid for power.

Veleth felt his hackles rise looking at them both but he bit it back. There was a rigidity in them, one he recognized. They had learned from hard lessons but tended to not bend when the situation called for it. He could understand and appreciate stubbornness...but his own hard lessons had taught him that concessions needed to be made if he ever wanted to move forward.

"That explains a few odd reports we've had from elsewhere in Skyrim," Delphine mused. "There's still some camps of Thalmor we haven't found yet-not in the Reach, though, they've learned to stay out of that. They're actively searching for rogue conjurers. Apparently, they've contacted more than a few groups of dark mages; not all of them have answered, but some have."

"Don't seem to know what to do with them, though," Madanach said dryly. "One camp's _definitely_ recruiting them. At least one other's been trying to kill them off."

Veleth raised an eyebrow. Killing them off?

"The Thalmor are divided," Ravenlight said. "I've found out, from an...extremely knowledgeable source that there are three heads of power currently in Summerset, each with differing goals. Could be as simple as they're taking their orders from opposing sources." She glanced back briefly to where she knew the Chii Chare were listening intently. "Where are these camps, near as you can figure?"

"Eastmarch and the Rift. More than that..." Delphine shrugged. "They're keeping on the move." She paused. "Wait-what kind of source would be able to tell you about the heads of power in _Summerset?_"

Veleth paid very close attention now. This was this one's chance to prove to be reasonable. Her _one_ chance. He didn't have the time or patience to allow her more.

"One who saw the depths his own are sinking to, and took the chance offered to forge a new path," Ravenlight answered calmly. "Much like Madanach did, when we got him out of Cidhna Mine; or Paarthurnax, when he showed me how to find the Dragonrend shout."

Delphine flinched. "You are going to bring that up every chance you get, aren't you?"

"Only because in this case, it's very similar." Ravenlight held up a hand. "I'm not trying to rub that in your face. I'm asking you, right now, to remember what _happened_ when you demanded that I kill him, and how it almost turned out."

"_I_ remember what happened," a young woman's voice said. A girl with the features of a Forsworn, but wearing the armor of a Blade, made her way forward. "And you told me to remind you of it, if it looked like it would happen again. 'Do not make me regret I agreed to reform the Blades', remember?" She sounded as though she was quoting something.

'_Smart kid_.' Veleth thought.

Both women blinked. "You know, _I_ almost never remember it going that far," Ravenlight muttered.

The girl tipped her head slightly. "Well, all of _us_ remember. The place was echoing with that for an _hour_, and all the other kids were scared and hiding." She glared at Delphine. "So. Don't make it go that far again."

Delphine heaved a sigh. "All right, all right." She glanced at the girl with a fondness that was...not quite maternal, but perhaps that of an aunt. "You'd be reprimanded for insubordination if I hadn't told you to remind me of that. All right." She turned back to Ravenlight, her lips twisting to the side. "Something tells me I'm not going to be happy about this, but..."

That 'but'. Veleth resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I'm not asking you to be happy about it. I just want you to be reasonable." Ravenlight eyed her for a moment. "I made contact with a Thalmor in Fell's Run in High Rock, about a day's ride from the ruin where the vampires are gathering. He listened when I told him about the vampires, and offered to help protect the town from them, should the need arise. A few days later, I discovered that he and four others had been staked out for the vampires by their commander, and took Odahviing and another dragon to rescue them."

"Honestly, I'm surprised you bothered." Delphine shrugged. "One's good as another, as far as I'm concerned. But you're...nicer than I am. Can't say it won't bite you one of these days, but there you are."

"Charming as ever, I see," Ravenlight said dryly. "It hasn't bitten me yet. They've proved extremely helpful, including a few nights back, when a coven of vampires led by an Ancient attacked Windstad Manor. THey fought with us; one nearly died protecting my children."

Veleth narrowed his eyes and several shifted behind him. The rage snarled, starting to boil. 'Strike one,' He thought.

Delphine pursed her lips. "That's...better than I would have expected. I take it they're the ones who told you about this...divided power structure?"

"Yes, in some detail. It turns out the one we really need to be worried about is named Rumalashorn Taromoth. He's..." Ravenlight paused for a moment, "a _truly_ nasty piece of work, and you may direct your rage at him if you want. He's also in league with Molag Bal to a depth that most of the Thalmor probably do not know."

The Blade hesitated, her mouth twisting, her arms still folded. She nodded slowly. "I...will agree that most of them don't follow the Daedra. Openly, anyway. And Bal is...nasty, any way you put it. So. These others?"

Veleth met her eyes without flinching. Very tough...very tough. The beast growled.

"Falcve is apparently obsessed with ancient relics to a dangerous degree; Sirinalda is only interested in local power. And...she appears to be an unofficial devotee of Sanguine, from what I've heard." Ravenlight glanced back to catch a glimpse of a rueful nod. "However, she also despises Rumalashorn. He is, almost without doubt, behind the orders to recruit conjuration mages. _She_ might be behind the orders to kill them." Ravenlight paused. "Or, and this is a fairly small chance, but it's possible, the Thalmor killing the dark mages might be working on their own and trying to stop Rumalashorn. I know that the ones I retrieved are willing to do almost anything to that extent."

"I'm...skeptical. To say the least," Delphine said bluntly. "But at the same time, if this...Remal-whatever really _is_ in service to Molag Bal, it's just possible that what he's doing would be enough to turn the stomach of the rank-and-file. I still wouldn't trust them. But..." She took a deep breath. "I gave way on the Dragon Queen thing. I'll...give way on this. Under protest, and standing behind you with my hand on my weapon in case it goes bad...but I will give way on it."

'Strike two.' Veleth felt his ire spark at that. He felt the familiar warm prickle as his eyes flashed.

"I'm not asking you to make friends," Ravenlight said irritably. "I just want to make sure I don't have to knock you over the head to keep from trying to kill them whenever you see them."

"I said I'd give way," Delphine said. "I won't start anything if they don't."

There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other. "I suppose asking more would be like asking Isran to move on the issue of vampires," Ravenlight finally said. "Be aware. If I have to break up any fights that seem to center around you, the response will be extremely swift, and more than a little painful."

Delphine bowed slightly. "Understood."

Veleth could barely control the growl. It was quiet enough to miss though. He didn't trust her. Not at all.

"They're here, aren't they?" Madanach asked. "Your...renegades, I guess. That's why you're getting on her like that." There was a hint of laughter in his voice, though no one was entirely sure what he found so funny in the situation.

"Yes," Ravenlight answered. "They're here, and they're coming with us."

Delphine's lips turned down...but she kept her hand away from her sword, and didn't move.

Veleth's eyes narrowed at that but he didn't move. If she did, he would.

The Forsworn Blade poked her. "Remember," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, Hawk," she said wearily. "I remember."

Veleth glanced at Ravenlight. Get this over with here and now.

Delphine looked at Ravenlight and sighed. "You couldn't have left it at the dragons?...fine. I'll... just... Hang a sign around their necks or something so I know they're yours and I'll leave them alone." She looked over the Companions, her eyes lingering briefly on an Altmer not quite concealed among them. "Looks like you won't need an escort, so we'll head to Whiterun on our own. I'll take whatever orders you choose to give us there." She bowed, then the cavalcade moved off along the road, a number of those in Blades armor bowing or saluting as they passed her.

"I do not trust her." Veleth growled as they faded into the distance. "The others sure. Her, no."

Ravenlight relaxed with a long exhale. "She's three times as stubborn as Nevano, and probably has even more reason to hate the Thalmor...but I browbeat her and Esbern into seeing reason over Paarthurnax. I'm just not going to push it over this...and if I can keep her and Gyrmallion _well_ apart at Whiterun, it can only help."

Drizzt came up behind her, smiling a little. "Which do you prefer," he asked softly, "a Revered dragon of uncertain allegiance, or Delphine?"

"That's why I don't trust her." Veleth snapped. "I will take a hundred stubborn men who I have to all but beat to get them to follow orders but I can fully trust to stick to their word when they give it over one who easily go with what you say but will only cleave to their word when it suits them, no matter how good their sword arm."

"You might have a point." Ravenlight sighed and shook her head. "I'll keep an eye on her, that's for sure. Though...admittedly, keeping them apart might not be an issue." She had been following the movement of the Blades, and now pointed in the direction of the town. "Look. Whiterun is in the middle of an _army_. Everyone's answered my call."

"As long as she doesn't go looking for answers herself..." Veleth said. "But good."

"Let's wait a little longer before we head out," Ravenlight said, "give them time to find their own place to camp before we head up there." She stood, staring at the city, her expression almost unreadable. After a moment, she exhaled and shook her head.

"Almost can't believe they all came."

"Nice when things do work out." Veleth said, his rage bleeding out now that the source was gone.

"Wait until you see who all is there." Drizzt laughed. "Mage's College, Dawnguard...didn't you say something about Thieves' Guild, too, _essiel_?"

"Well, I didn't _call_ them specifically..."

"Yet word got out." Veleth said

"Dismas _is_ a favorite of Nocturnal." Ravenlight sighed. "He also knows enough to be justly frightened of us, should need arise, so hopefully that will keep them on good behavior, if they're there. I'm actually wondering if Sorine and Gundar brought their...individual interests, as it were."

Veleth snorted. "Probably a good thing Nevano isn't here then."

"I am _not_ looking forward to seeing if she brought that blasted Centurion, that's for sure..." Ravenlight looked to the side as Drizzt suddenly laughed.

"If the Dawnguard is here, _essiel_, that means _Isran_ is here. We are going to want a good view of his face when we tell him where Serana is!"

Veleth muttered something in his own tongue that had a definite...vulgar ring to it. Or it was merely how Dunmeri sounded. it was hard to tell. Drelasa smacked her son upside the head for that one.

"I see the Blades have not changed much over the centuries...unfortunately."

"Only Dephine...and possibly Esbern. The rest of them..." Ravenlight shrugged. "Are very new to being Blades, I'll just say that." She waited a few more moments, then hopped down off the rock. "All right. Let's head out again."

"It's always the ones in charge." Drelasa said. "But yes. Let's see how this goes."

* * *

Reloading the children was easier than it had been initially; due in no small part to the fact that there was a road there, and the ground was not largely marsh. The dips and rills of the plains were an easier trek, even for sore feet, than the mountains and wetlands had been, even if it turned out to be a longer distance between them and the city than it had initially looked.

As they drew closer to the city, and the numerous camps set up around it, the Companions, almost as one, moved the Chii Chare into the middle of them, placing them fairly close to the cart, and ensuring that there was a hedge of hardened warriors around them. Delphine, they knew, was not the only one likely to react poorly to the sight of what appeared to be Thalmor, and they wanted to avoid any incidents.

Nevusa stayed close to Farkas, using his bulk as an aid in keeping in a straight line while she looked left and right. Not only were there interesting soldiers she had never seen before, but this was a new town with new and interesting sights. Yes, it was a war gathering, but she wanted to see it all.

Ravenlight's first quick stop was at a small house almost immediately past the wall, where she turned her children, and Dreyla, over to a straight-backed warrior with dark hair and a friendly smile. A hairy wolfhound greeted Lucia and Blaise with delight before sitting down and staring up at Dreyla with a hopefully wagging tail. Dusty, thrilled at seeing a dog, immediately leaned out of his mother's arms to pet the dog, babbling happily. Meeko's tail nearly swept the floor clean of any loose objects.

Veleth's shoulders finally relaxed when his small family were in the relative safety of the small house.

"Breezehome's protected," Ravenlight said. "If I wasn't sure of that, I wouldn't have left any of the children there. I had a vampire break in once before, during the incident with the Volkihar; had to get the door repaired afterward. Somehow, an amulet of Kynareth got embedded in the new doorframe. Anything nasty that tries to get in now, well...it's in for a shock."

He nodded, though his eyes were still busy and his ears twitching.

Ravenlight looked over her group. "All right...Zak, Drizzt, Gyrmallion, Drelasa, and Veleth, I want you with me up at Dragonsreach. That's where all the other leaders will be, that's where we'll be making any plans. Companions, probably best for you to head to Jorrvaskr, and please take the Chii Chare with you, because no one will try anything there."

Nevusa's eyes sparkled at that. Until Veleth caught her arm and said something in Dunmeri in her ear. She seemed a bit tempered then...if only a bit.

* * *

Ravenlight was no stranger to the inside of Dragonsreach. For one reason or another, being Thane of Whiterun often brought her to the great hall, to speak with its wizard or the Jarl. But even when they'd prepared for Ulfric's assault on the city, or to capture Odahviing there, she'd never seen it this full. Several mages mingled with members of the Dawnguard, Jarls argued with each other, Legionnaires chatted with Nordic warriors. As she pushed the doors open and entered, her group behind her, first one group, then another noticed her, and the hall, in a long ripple, fell quiet and turned to her.

Veleth fought back the uncomfortable squirming feeling in his gut at so many eyes. He had faced a crowd similar to this only once before and that had been a third of the size. At the time he had been fully in the grip of a rage so murderous even Boethiah had tried to rein him in. Now, the rage was cold. He kept his attention half on Ravenlight though. He wanted to learn from her how to handle a crowd such as this, one charged with enough nervous energy that his armor was reacting to it.

"Dragonborn," a voice said formally, and a tall man in rich clothes, a large axe strapped to his back, made his way through the crowd. Ravenlight smiled and strode forward, meeting him halfway. When they met, they clasped hands, both bowing slightly to the other in display of respect for the authority both commanded.

"Jarl Balgruuf," Ravenlight said warmly. "Sorry for choosing Whiterun as the gathering for all of them...but it's close enough to where we need to be."

"You always seem to choose my keep for this sort of thing," Balgruuf said, no heat in his voice. "Calling all the Jarls together, trapping a dragon...we're just a little too convenient, it would seem."

"Just a little." She smiled, then grew serious. "Is everyone here?"

He looked around. "Not quite yet. Tullius and Elisef haven't made it, and while I got word that your Blades and Forsworn have arrived, Madanach isn't up here. I'll let you know when they arrive; then you can tell us all at once what's going on."

Veleth heard the order to cool their heels a bit. He didn't like it. It made him jittery. He hoped Nevusa and the twins were behaving...he hoped that this would be over soon.

"Thank you." Ravenlight half-bowed, then glanced back at her group. "_Uhiel_, why don't you take Veleth and your father and find a quiet spot before either one does something they'll later regret? I'll fetch you once everyone else arrives. Gyrmallion, you stay with me; Drelasa, you too. I'll take you around and introduce you."

Veleth was grateful for that. He wanted away from this crowd.

"Out this way," Drizzt beckoned. "There's a porch out back: good view of the eastern Hold, and the mountains. Spacious and quiet. It's also where Ravenlight caught Odahviing for the first time; I wasn't there for it, but I've heard the story from quite a few people since. Be glad to tell it to you."

Veleth nodded. Part of him was intrigued and the rest relieved. Except for a small part. It remained twisting in agitation.


End file.
